OK folks, I offer a chance to be heard and influence the conversation.

In today’s world we have some difficult energy related circumstances. In the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning business, the Engineers who work behind the scenes to design build and maintain our buildings and energy infrastructure are working hard to ensure a safe, healthful and sustainable future for us to enjoy.

HVAC for our air conditioning is a major if not dominant portion of the load on our electrical grid. The grid for purpose defined as both Electrical Generation and Distribution. The sad fact is very few new power plants have been built in the last decades, so while electrical demand has increased greatly, the legacy generation base has aged with no significant replacement of these generating resources. On top of that the distribution systems that include high tension cables, transformer stations, local transformers and all the relays sensors and automated controls that go into making it all flow are also aging. Coupled with that is the regular mundane maintenance of clearing trees and brush along the power lines which although manageable, costs a fair amount of money. We should make note that part of the root cause of the Great East Coast / Midwest Blackout (just a name I invented) was caused by lack of proper tree maintenance.

We should also not forget the California draconian regulation that led to the rise and fall of Enron, and the rolling blackouts of the not to distant past.

We are at a point where because generation and transport capacity will not make demand, at least on an occasional peak event (summer cooling), California for starters is mandating the customers submit to forced denial of electrical service. This will be done starting in 2007 (if I have the dates correct). The way it will be done was still being worked out from the technical level as this article was being written, but to sum it up basically in order to prevent the grid from going down the power Companies with be able to automatically cut off power to the air condition of homes and possibly businesses. This is going to happen in California, maybe some other States, maybe voluntary, maybe mandatory – guaranteed to be variable from State to State and market to market.

What is being done and what can we do?

Energy efficiency is a big (huge) opportunity from a building dynamics operation perspective.

The engineers and scientists have been researching for a long tome various load shedding methods to reduce electrical demand not only at peak times, but also over all. Research has shown that with proper operation a building can be operated in a more efficient behavior and cut electrical use, which can save money for the building owner and also take pressure off the utility to supply enough juice to keep the grid stable.

Many of these methods have their roots in a computerized building automation system. And with the advent of the Internet and other enabling communication technologies – the utility will be able to operate the building via remote control in the event of a crisis. In non-crises times, Engineering Services providers can access computerized building control systems and operate the building for the owner in more efficient way, which result in energy savings.

Taken a step further the computerized building affords the opportunities for Fault Detection and Diagnostics routines running in the background, which help to make the maintenance of building ms more effective. This opens the door to saving money by operating the building in a “tuned” fashion, saving money on maintenance efforts, and also – at the end of the day providing greater occupant satisfaction.

The above comments are relevant to homes, office buildings, stores, and schools, ALL BUIDLINGS.

After all, at the end of the day we don’t want to be cold, we don’t want to hot – the best running building is invisible.

There are many issues to move forward with these technologies, initial cost, technological complexity and the population of qualified technicians to install operate and maintain these computerized systems, PRIVACY. There are many more issues and details to explore, more to follow as these technologies move from the labs to the field.

Purpose of this discussion is to explore ideas and opinions with regard to our electrical energy infrastructure, and the coming practice of Electrical Utilities ability to provide power during peak load conditions. We are specifically looking at the coming legislation in California and other states, which allow the utilities to cut off service to residential, and commercial air condition customers.

Inherently these outages will occur during peak load conditions, which in simple terms means that when the air conditioning is needed most, it will be cut off. The intention is to reduce loads during these far and few between times and in doing so prevent rolling black outs.

We also need to consider underlying issues, which directly influence the bigger picture.

There are bigger picture issues at play for example:

1) Climate change and increasing air conditioning loads beyond the ones we currently see.

2) The precarious situation of projected shortfalls in US electricity generating capacity in the coming years.

3) International oil markets which influences the very base of out cost structure to produce electricity, as fossil fuels are the vast majority of methods, and likely will be for at least the coming generation if not loinger.

I will explore building operations practices and various other issues at a later time, but for now I wish to expand a little on recent developments in the world fossil fuel game.

Not long ago China signed a strategic off shore petroleum development pact with Venezuela. Those of you who read the news know the US is not on the best of terms with Hugo Chavez, the current head of State in this South American country:

Pipeline deal to get oil to a Pacific Port: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1312

BBC News Report on Oil Deal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4123465.stm

To continue considering pressure on US energy stability, last year China signed a strategic petroleum development with Saudi Arabia: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10989062/from/RSS/

As we consider our society needs to keep the lights on, and the buildings we live work and play in cool during hreat waves, and warm in winter, lets keep in mind the US Tresury is pretty stretched and when it comes tothe commodity market, those with money buy, those without funding go without.

I'm not prepared to share publicly what committes(s) I set on and am activly involved with at the Regional and National level with a focus on Building Operations and Sustainabilty, but these issues are at the forefront of the Federal, State and association levels (AIA ASHRAE USGBC etc etc).

Anyone care to offer viewpoints and or suggestions of how we can go forward in a responsible fashion?