WASHINGTON, DC — Top officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. State Department and New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) met with HVACR industry experts Dec. 4 for a lively discussion of America’s 21st century energy challenges at the final 2006 EnVisioneering Symposium at the Sofitel Hotel in the nation’s capital.
Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, DOE’s under secretary for science, was among four keynote speakers who engaged a group of about 40 HVACR and allied industry leaders at the special symposium entitled, “Energy Futures: America Responds to 21st Century Energy Challenges.”
The symposium was sponsored by Danfoss, a world leader in research, development and production of mechanical and electronic components, and marked the third event in the 2006 EnVisioneering Symposium series, which Danfoss launched in August. Additional symposia are being planned for 2007.
The third symposium addressed America’s growing and vital role in global energy leadership, including how U.S. policymakers and energy strategists view the challenges and their plans to address them.
In addition to Orbach, who discussed the promise of basic, long-term energy research, the other keynote speakers and their topics included:
- John F. Mizroch, principle deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “The Potential of Energy Efficiency”
- Dr. Harlan L. Watson, senior climate negotiator and special representative, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Science Affairs, State Department, “Energy and the Global Agenda: The Asia-Pacific Partnership”
- Peter R. Smith, president, NYSERDA, “Power Generation, Distribution and Driving Efficiency”
The event was hosted by John Galyen, president, Danfoss Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning North America, and organized by Robert Cavey, president, Global Strategy Initiative.
“Our global energy regime is being exposed to new, significant and highly dispersed threats and risks, and the situation is not likely to get any easier,” Galyen said in his opening remarks. “That’s where the EnVisioneering Symposium comes in – to evaluate opportunities and manage risks. We need answers to questions we didn’t have even a few years ago.”
Orbach noted that energy is no longer cheap, unlimited and freely available, adding that dependence on fossil fuels and imported oil poses a growing risk to the U.S. economy, the environment and national security.
DOE’s answer, according to Orbach, is “transformational discoveries” and the development of “truly disruptive technologies.” He suggested five pathways to transforming energy: conservation, wind, nuclear, bioenergy and fusion.
On the bioenergy front, Orbach said the U.S. is capable of producing 1 billion dry tons of biomass annually from agricultural and forestry wastes, grains and 55 million acres of perennial bioenergy crops. That’s enough for 60 billion gallons of ethanol per year -- or 30 percent of today’s transportation fuel usage.
Regarding fusion, Orbach noted that in September 2006 the U.S. launched a major cooperative project with the European Union, Japan, Russia, China, Korea and India to develop an International Thermal Energy Reactor (ITER). This experimental fusion reactor will be the “penultimate step to the development of commercial fusion energy,” Orbach concluded.
Keeping with the cooperation theme, the State Department’s Watson acknowledged the July 2005 formation of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate -- a public-private partnership involving Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and the U.S. Watson said the partners are committed to “enhance cooperation to meet both our increased energy needs and associated challenges, including those relating to air pollution, energy security and greenhouse gas intensities.”
While renewable energy sources are currently a focus of the federal government, industry needs to use available natural resources more efficiently and effectively, noted several experts.
“Energy efficiency is cleaner than coal; it’s cheaper than renewables,” said Smith of NYSERDA, which provides incentives for energy-efficient technologies. “We need to improve our energy future because it affects our economy … We have an obligation to make our energy future more secure, more sustainable and more reliable.”
Symposia Report to be Released at 2007 AHR Expo
In January 2007, at the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Expo in Dallas, Danfoss will release a comprehensive industry report, detailing the discussions and ideas set forth during the three conferences held in 2006. For more information about the Danfoss EnVisioneering Symposium, visit: http://www.envisioneering.danfoss.com/symposium.
In addition, Danfoss is making plans for the 2007 EnVisioneering Symposium Series. Each symposium focuses on an important dimension of the emerging energy nexus, providing access to advanced ideas, information, analysis, networks and opportunities for leadership in this global transformation initiative.
The symposium series brings together decision makers from business and government, end-users and power generators, equipment manufacturers and architects, engineers, financiers, regulators, scientists and strategists – the expansive group required to envision the novel approaches, new technologies and creative applications needed for a secure energy future.