FEMP Digest: New Webpage on Optimizing Solar PV Performance

Bookmark and Share

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Energy dot gov Office of Energy Efficiency and renewable energy

Federal Energy Management Program Update

Divider

March 26, 2020

The FEMP Digest provides a roundup of the latest offerings, news, and events available from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Click the links below to learn more.

To view previous FEMP Digests, visit the Archived Digest webpage on the FEMP website.


Act Now!

Register now and book your hotel for the 2020 Energy Exchange! This year’s event will take place in Atlanta, Georgia from August 11–13, 2020.

✔ Read about how DOE recognized the first U.S. power plant at Tennessee Valley Authority as 50001 Ready


FEMP Focus

See what we are featuring from FEMP this month! Click on the links below to find out more about these FEMP updates. 

FEMP Adds New Webpage on Optimizing Solar PV Performance for Longevity

The Federal Government has increased the amount of on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems tenfold in the last eight years. PV system performance can be optimized throughout the 20- to 30-year lifespans by conducting proper operations and maintenance (O&M). FEMP’s new webpage offers an overview of PV performance, how to measure it, and how to optimize it with an O&M plan. Check out the Optimizing Solar PV Performance for Longevity webpage.

FEMP Announces Call for 2020 FEDS Spotlight Nominees

FEMP invites agencies to nominate federal employees working to implement exceptional projects and programs that demonstrate the importance of collaboration and innovation and offer efficient, resilient, and secure energy and water management solutions. FEMP’s FEDS Spotlight will recognize these champions as part of the 2020 Energy Exchange, being held in Atlanta, Georgia from August 11–13, 2020. Participating agencies are eligible to nominate up to three federal employees meeting the criteria described in the template guidance. All nominations must submitted to FEMP through the agency’s headquarters level point of contact by Friday, May 1, 2020. Visit FEMP’s website for more information. 

FEMP Supports Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in Ongoing Pursuit of Data Center Optimization

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) National Energy Scientific Research Computing Center (NERSC), a Department of Energy Better Buildings Data Center Partner, has paved a new way in energy efficiency in high performance computing. FEMP’s support of the Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers provided subject matter expertise to NERSC team’s ongoing pursuit of performance optimization. The project has already cut energy and water consumption significantly—by 1.8 million kilowatt hours and more than a half million gallons annually—with further measures in the works. The project has also implemented ongoing monitoring to provide NERSC with tools to assess the reliability of the energy efficiency measures put in place over time. Learn more about these efforts on LBNL's website

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Offers New Energy-Efficient Product Procurement Webinars

LBNL is kicking off 2020 with a new Contracting for Efficiency Webinar Series. This three-part training will present an overview of energy-efficient product procurement (EEPP) requirements and new ways to help ensure federal agencies achieve significant savings from the adoption of energy-efficient products. The first webinar, Introduction to Energy Efficient Product Procurement, will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. It will focus on the requirements for purchasing energy-efficient products and FEMP’s EEPP program and resources. The webinar will also cover the benefits of energy-efficient product procurement, including cost savings, emissions reductions, and market transformation potential. Register for the first webinar in the series.  

Energy Savings Performance Contract Energy Sales Agreement Training Series Now Available On-Demand

The energy savings performance contract energy sales agreement (ESPC ESA) training series is now available on-demand through FEMP’s training search. ESPC ESAs use the ESPC authority for distributed energy projects on federal buildings or land where the ECM is privately-owned initially and the agency purchases the electricity. With the investment tax credit declining from 30% to 10% by 2022 for taxable business entities, this is great time to learn about how to implement distributed energy projects on federal building or land through ESPC ESAs. Check out the training series.

Updated Power Chain Tool for Calculating Electric System Efficiency Opportunities in Data Centers

Data center operators now have an improved FEMP-sponsored tool for assessing energy and cost savings in their core electrical systems. The updated Power Chain Tool from LBNL’s Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers solicits user data on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power distribution units, transformers, etc., and identifies energy-saving actions, along with estimated energy and cost savings and payback periods. The revamped tool integrates new UPS technology and performance data and allows for a finer-grained characterization of electric system components. 

REopt Lite Goes Open Source

Complex models, robust data sets, custom capabilities—now users can dig into the code behind the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) REopt Lite™ web tool. REopt Lite Open Source is the latest way for federal researchers and software developers to use REopt Lite for research, analysis, and project development. The REopt Lite web tool helps users evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected photovoltaics, wind, and battery storage at a site; identify system sizes and battery dispatch strategies to minimize energy costs; and estimate how long a system can sustain critical loads during a grid outage. Read NREL’s news story.


Featured FEMP Tools and Training

Did you know that FEMP offers a range of free on-demand training sessions and tools to support federal agencies’ energy reduction efforts, including software, data sets, and databases? Each month, FEMP will spotlight a few of these resources that are available to all.

Access FEMP’s Training Search and full catalog of tools.


Upcoming Events

Check out and register for upcoming online training events developed and offered by FEMP. Click on the links to find out more and register today.

WEBINAR: ESPC ESA Workshop Outcomes

Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 2–3:30 p.m. EDT

WEBINAR: eProject Builder Demonstration (Introductory)

Thursday, April 9, 2020, 1–2:30 p.m. EDT

Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 1–2:30 p.m. EDT

WEBINAR: Smart Lab Webinar Series at I2SL: New Methods to Test Performance of Modern Fume Hoods and High-Performance Airflow Systems

Thursday, April 16, 2020, 1–2:00 p.m. EDT

WEBINAR: Get Smart (Labs): Results from the Smart Labs Accelerator

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 3–4:00 p.m. EDT

WEBINAR: Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) Training Program 

Out of an abundance of caution, the upcoming Data Center Energy Practitioner Training will be conducted virtually, originally set to take place in San Francisco, California on May 13–15, 2020 (Generalist + HVAC Specialist). We are in the process of organizing the logistics and will share that information as soon as we can on the DCEP website. If you have any questions, please email us at mherrlin@ancis.us. We are also determining if changes are necessary to the in-person DCEP trainings planned for summer and fall 2020. We will keep you informed. 

WEBINAR: Opportunities for ESPCs in Data Centers

Thursday May 21, 2020 1–2:30 p.m. EDT

Interested in more training events? View FEMP’sTraining Calendar to see all of FEMP’s scheduled webinar sessions and in-person trainings.

FEMP Logo