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Item 10 Strategic Steps to Reducing Your Energy Costs(Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu), 2005) Swanson, G. A.; Haley, M.If your company is looking at energy management as part of its overall strategy to reduce costs and improve profits, it is not alone. While energy prices have increased at a shocking rate, so has interest in environmental responsibility. Progressive organizations are exploring ways to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gases. Some are even creating new positions for these issues, placing someone in charge of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The CSR's job is to help a company be more socially responsible and reduce harmful emissions. Energy management can accomplish both conservation and emission goals- plus, it lowers utility costs and strengthens your bottom line! In the past, reasonably priced energy made it difficult to justify new conservation projects. It was hard to meet the standard criteria of 2-3 years payback. However, natural gas prices have tripled in the last five years from $2 to over $6 per Dekatherm (Dth). Electric prices also have increased dramatically-by more than 100% in some parts of the country. These increased energy costs have made conservation projects more desirable. A natural gas improvement project that had a six-year payback five years ago may have less than a two-year payback today. New technologies also have helped drive down the payback of projects and opened up new areas for potential savings. The following paper looks at how the new market offers opportunities to reduce overall energy costs.Item 10 things to know about water and the 83rd Texas Legislature: A brief primer on water issues in the current legislative session(Texas Water Resources Institute, 2013) Lee, LeslieItem 100% Renewable Cities in Texas(2017-11-14) McAndrews, NeilItem 129 Iodine: A New Hydrologic Tracer for Aquifer Recharge Conditions Influenced by River Flow Rate and Evapotranspiration(Texas Water Resources Institute, 2003) Schwehr, K. A.; Santschi, P. H.; Moran, J. E.Item 15% Above-Code Energy Efficiency Measures for Commercial Buildings in Texas(Energy Systems Laboratory, 2007-08) Haberl, J. S.; Culp, C.; Yazdani, B.In the pages that follow, 15% above-code measures for new commercial buildings are presented for the 41 non-attainment and affected counties in Texas, separated by climate area. Each page contains a description of the individual measures and combined measures that achieve 15% above-code savings, which are based on ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999. These measures include envelope, HVAC systems, and plant equipment. Annual energy and demand savings, estimated costs, simple payback, and NOx emissions reductions are provided for commercial buildings.Item 15% Above-Code Energy Efficiency Measures for Residential Buildings in Texas(Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu), 2007-08) Haberl, J. S.; Culp, C.; Yazdani, B.In the pages that follow, 15% above-code measures for new residential buildings are presented for the 41 non-attainment and affected counties in Texas, separated by climate area. Each page contains a description of the individual measures and combined measures that achieve 15% above-code savings, which are based on the 2001 IECC. These measures include envelope, HVAC systems, and plant equipment. Annual energy savings, estimated costs, simple payback, and NOx emissions reductions are provided for commercial buildings.Item $18.7 Million Paid From Savings Variable Load Mechanical Cogeneration Project at Louisiana State University(Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.eslwin.tamu.edu), 1993-03) Leach, M. D.; Colburn, B. K.This paper provides a synopsis of the practical application of part-load cogeneration technology to a large university campus for providing new chilled water and steam requirements for expansion needs, and simultaneously providing these utilities at no out of pocket cost to the institution using the innovative financing mechanism of performance contracting, in which project savings pay for the investment. In addition, the work is performed via a cogeneration system operating most of the year at part-load. This mechanical cogeneration project, as it provides a dual thermal benefit from a single input energy source.Item 1980-81 Forage production for oats, ryegrass, rye, triticale and wheat(1982) Nelson, L. R.Item 1981 Texas Peanut Disease and Nematode Control Recommendations.(Texas Agricultural Extension Service, 1981) Lee, Jr., Thomas A.; Horne, C. Wendell; Berry, Robert W.; Jones, Roger K.; McCoy, Norman L.; Philley, George L.Item 1981-82 Forage yields for oats, ryegrass, rye, wheat and triticale(1983) Nelson, L. R.Item 1984 Texas Peanut Disease and Nematode Control Recommendations.(Texas Agricultural Extension Service, 1984) Lee, Jr., Thomas A.; Horne, C. Wendell; McCoy, Norman L.; Philley, George L.Item 1986 Cogeneration Market Assessment(Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu), 1986-06) Wallace, D. G.Item The 1997 Irrigation Suspension Program for the Edwards Aquifer: Evaluation and Alternatives(Texas Water Resources Institute, 1998-02) Keplinger, Keith O.; McCarl, Bruce A.The EAA implemented a pilot irrigation suspension program in 1997 on 9,669 acres mainly in Medina and Uvalde counties with the objective of increasing springflow at Comal Springs, and providing relief to municipalities in meeting Critical Period (drought) Management Rules. The Aquifer region, however, experienced a wet Spring in 1997, so that even irrigators not enrolled in the program applied little or no irrigation water. If conditions were dry in Spring 1997, aquifer simulation results indicate that suspending irrigation on enrolled acreage would have reduced pumping by 23,206 acre-feet and would have augmented Comal springflow by 6,498 acre-feet during the program year and by 17.7 cfs in August. The level of the eastern portion of the Aquifer would have been expect to rise by about 3.8 feet, and the cost per acre-foot of suspended irrigation would have been about $99. Payments to irrigators totaled $2,350,000. The ISP Program did cause farmer adjustments. Participants in the ISP program planted less corn, cotton, vegetables, and peanuts in favor of more sorghum and wheat. Irrigators who converted to dryland purchased somewhat less fertilizer, seed, and labor, but secondary effects on the local economy appeared to be small. The price paid per suspended acre was much higher than regional lease rates and average cropping profit margins in many instances. Factors which may have accounted for the high bids include: 1) lack of experience with an ISP, 2) its late start up, 3) the belief that bids might affect future water prices or offers, 4) tendencies to bid high enough to cover costs under a worst case scenario of a total loss of dryland crops, 5) collusion and need to bid high enough to compensate all under current land lease arrangements. Bids in future ISP solicitations might be lower, or might not. Given the substantial difference between local irrigated land rental rates and ISP bids, it seems unlikely that the EAA could attract sufficient acreage by capping bids at rental rates. There may be, however, some latitude for the EAA to set a maximum per acre rate somewhere between local rental rates and the ISP bids. This, combined with announcing the program and executing contracts in October or November, has the possibility of substantially reducing program cost. The EAA may also want to consider offering an option contract which when implemented would suspend irrigation in April or May. Waiting until April or May would provide the EAA more information on current year weather allowing better information on whether irrigation suspension is really necessary since: 1) more time would have elapsed allowing administrators to know Aquifer elevation at a later date, and 2) information of weather, irrigation use to date and projected irrigation for the remainder of the cropping year is increased this point. The cost of a single implementation of such a program may be substantially higher than a January 1 contract, since irrigators may sustain greater loss. Expected program cost, however, could be lower, since this option would be exercised less frequently, offsetting over higher cost of implementation. Good alternatives to an ISP are limited. We evaluated the potential of 1) implementing more efficient irrigation technology and 2) buying land and leasing it back during wet or average years. The ISP is a more cost effective source of critical water than is the use of subsidized irrigation efficiency largely because the ISP can put in place only when water is needed. Also, while not considered here, evidence in areas such as the High Plains suggests that irrigator pumping is not reduced by the amount an increase in irrigation efficiency would imply. This is because irrigators may choose to irrigate more water intensive crops and/or irrigate more acreage when efficiency is increased. The high bids experienced in the 1997 program compared to price of land in the Aquifer region suggests that a buy-leaseback arrangement could substantially reduce the cost to the EAA of suspending irrigation. This, of course, would require an alternate set of administrative costs by the EAA and may be less expensive than the ISP. Also the picture may be altered by the adjudication of water rights in the Aquifer which will likely be finished within three to five years. After water rights adjudication, however, buying and leasing back water rights may be a very appropriate and cost effective strategy for the EAA. In sum, we conclude that the 1997 pilot ISP was a reasonable response to the drought condition experienced in 1996. Fine-tuning the selection criteria, bid arrangement, allowing greater lead time, and/or implementing an ISP or option contract later in the year, holds the potential for reducing the cost of program implementation. A land-based ISP is an interim arrangement that can be implemented in the absence of a fully functioning permit system. After water rights are adjudicated in the region, ISP and option contracts will take on more conventional forms involving buy, lease, and option contracts for water rights. It is expected that water-based versus land-based arrangements would likely facilitate the transfer of water at lower rates.Item 1MW Grid-Scale Solar Storage Project(2017-01-19) Lee, ByungwookItem 2 Case Studies on Unique Machinery Repair Techniques: Brush Plating Repair of Eroded Compressor Diaphragm - Combining 2 Failed Gearboxes into 1 Functional and Reliable Gearbox(Turbomachinery Laboratories, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, 2016) Uptigrove, Stan; Tze-Hur, Chin; Edward, KarlCase Study 2: When machinery challenges arise in aging equipment within declining oil and gas facilities it requires innovative solutions taking into account life expectancy, production impact and declining production to establish fit for purpose solutions. With good engineering, unique repairs can help limit production impact, extend equipment life and provide a more robust solution for current operating conditions. Two case studies of novel equipment repairs are presented to demonstrate these principles: 1. Brush Plating Repair of Eroded Compressor Diaphragm; and, 2. Combining Two Failed Gearboxes into One Functional and Reliable Gearbox. Focus was on restoring safe and reliable operationItem 2000 Texas Panhandle, Rolling, and South Plains Herbicide Guide for Weed Control in Wheat(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Department) Bean, Brent; Baughman, Todd; Rowland, MattItem 2000 Texas Panhandle, Rolling, and South Plains Herbicide Guide for Weed Control in Wheat(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Department) Bean, Brent; Baughman, Todd; Rowland, MattItem 2000 Texas Panhandle, Rolling, and South Plains Herbicide Guide for Weed Control in Wheat(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Department) Bean, Brent; Baughman, Todd; Rowland, MattItem 2000 Texas Panhandle, Rolling, and South Plains Herbicide Guide for Weed Control in Wheat(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Department) Bean, Brent; Baughman, Todd; Rowland, MattItem 2000 Texas Panhandle, Rolling, and South Plains Herbicide Guide for Weed Control in Wheat(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Department) Bean, Brent; Baughman, Todd; Rowland, Matt