Analysis of Emissions Calculators for the National Center of Excellence on Displaced Emission Reductions (CEDER)- 2008 Annual Report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

In August 2004, the USEPA issued guidance on quantifying the air emission benefits from electric sector energy efficiency and renewable energy. Because there was no clear best strategy, the EPA’s guidance provided a framework and the basic requirements needed to demonstrate air quality improvements or emission reductions with adequate certainty to be incorporated into a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for achieving or maintaining National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Energy Systems Laboratory, with guidance from both the US EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), developed the first comprehensive engineering toolkit and database that satisfies the EPA guidelines. The value of this unique tool was demonstrated in 2005 when the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL), at the request of the TCEQ, used it to develop integrated emissions estimates for all state agencies participating in the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP). Building on this expertise, the US EPA has established a National Center of Excellence on Displaced Emission Reductions (CEDER) at the Energy Systems Laboratory to research and gather the state-of-the-art on air pollution quantification techniques for Energy Efficiency / Renewable Energy (EE/RE) projects; provide technical support and customized analysis for state and local agencies seeking to estimate the environmental benefits from clean energy policies and programs; and to document how a user-friendly tool, based on e2Calc, can be used by clients to fulfill their needs to quantify emission reductions from energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. The Energy Systems Laboratory, in fulfillment of its responsibilities, submits this annual report, “Analysis of Emissions Calculators for National Center of Excellence on Displaced Emission Reductions (CEDER)” to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The report is organized in several deliverables: • Summary Report, which details the progress of tasks; • Appendix, which shows the survey documentation, screenshots of emissions calculators, and screenshots for the test of each online emissions calculator. The three main tasks that have been performed in 2008 are as follows: • Task 1: Review existing emissions calculators from U.S. Department of Energy’s EE/RE Building Energy Software Tools Directory. • Task 2: Review and test currently available emissions calculators from the World Wide Web. • Task 3: Assistance with the estimation of Annual Reductions of NOx Emissions in ERCOT for the HB3693 Electricity Savings Goals.