iThermostat Could Revolutionise our Energy Consumption

Here’s a new device that could be the way of the future in terms of managing your home energy use and regulating when the peak and troughs occur.

The following press release from TXU Energy will give all the details and the link to the website is at the end of the release.

TXU Energy Unveils iThermostat
TXU Energy introduced its new energy conservation product - the TXU Energy iThermostat(TM). It replaces a customer's old thermostat with one designed to manage home energy use, save money and help the environment from any device connected to the Internet. It also allows TXU Energy to manage electricity use during periods of peak energy demand.

"Our focus is on helping customers control their energy use so they can save money," said Jim Burke, chief executive officer, TXU Energy. "Combined with the TXU Energy Conservation program, this new tool will help accomplish that and help the environment at the same time."

The TXU Energy iThermostat(TM) benefits include:

-- Customer control: At home, from work or on the road, a customer can control their home's heating and cooling system from any Internet- connected device.
-- Save money: Settings can be adjusted for weekdays and weekends, with up to four programmable periods a day. Depending on use and settings, customers can save as much as $150 or more every year in energy costs.
-- Help the environment: The TXU Energy iThermostat(TM) helps the environment by allowing TXU Energy to manage peak electric use, which can prevent power interruptions and help keep prices down.

The iThermostat is free to eligible customers in the Oncor Electric Delivery service area who sign up for the TXU Energy Conservation Program.

This program allows TXU Energy to cycle on and off a customer's heating and air conditioning system during periods of peak energy demand – typically between the hours of 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. from May through September. However, customers have ultimate control and can easily override a cycle period from any Web-enabled computer or by calling TXU Energy. Cycling in this way can help TXU Energy reduce the strain on the state's transmission and generation facilities and ensure everyone has the electricity they need to keep their homes comfortable.

The TXU Energy Conservation Program has a two-year minimum term. However, customers can choose to change TXU Energy plans at any time without affecting the participation in this unique and beneficial program.
For more information about this program, customers can visit http://www.txu.com/iThermostat

Water Power Receives US Funding

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that there is up to US $7.5 million of federal funding allocated to research and development of the advancement of water power systems. The viability and ability to make the systems cost-competitive will fall inder this funding allocation.

US companies and universities will be sourght by the DOE to develop technologies capable of harnessing ocean wave, tidal, current and other water-based resources.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide the opportunity for research to be conducted on engineering standards and codes, energy grid interconnection issues, assessments of tidal and water resources and siting requirements. The DOE intends on awarding up to 17 grants after applications are received by the June 16 due date.

An Alternative Wind Power Source

The push to find alternative energy sources continue with governments around the world looking at viable alternatives for generating clean electricity from renewable sources. Just about every developed country in the world have announced some sort of renewable energy target to, at the very least, reduce the dependence on fossil fuels if not for climate change reasons then for pollution reasons.

Wind power continues to grow as a reliable supplier of electricity although the number of sites available for wind farm construction is falling for a number of reasons. One of the chief reasons that construction is delayed and projects have difficulty gaining government approval stems from local groups who oppose projects on the grounds that the wind turbines make too much noise or are ugly. (They always seem to ignore the fact that their present source of electricity, which is invariable a coal-burning power plant, is a much uglier and unhealthy alternative).

Increasingly, the answer to this opposition is to locate the wind farms offshore, beyond hearing and seeing distance of local residents. Given the vast expanse of oceans suitable for constructing giant wind farms, the potential power that might be generated is enormous. Currently the offshore wind power industry is still pretty much in its infancy, but projects are being proposed and funding is being secured at an increasing rate. Costs are still high and there are many more contingencies to be considered when constructing the wind farms and then connecting them to electricity grids.

For more information about planned projects as well as projects already in commercial operation you can visit this offshore wind power page.

A New Solar Power Plant in Israel

The Renewable Energy Development site has reported on the invitation for tenders by the Israeli government for the planned 250MW solar power plant that has been talked about for the past couple of years. The Negev Desert is the intended site and, by the looks of things, the actual capacity of the power plant could fall anywhere between 160 – 250MW and still meet with the tender pre-requisites.

The expectation is that the new solar power plant in Israel will be a concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plant, but the exact technology that will be used will be determined by the company whose tender offer is successful.

The new project will be a further significant step forward in the use of renewable energy sources to produce power with the size of this project sitting fairly close to the top in terms of CSP plants in terms of electricity capacity.