October 1993 Issue #3

Hot Potatoes in the Gray Literature

Utilities generate numerous reports, technical memos, and evaluations which are never catalogued or published. Information on topics such as efficient technologies, new designs, laboratory and field measurements, energy consumption, and energy savings already exist in utility files. Recent research in LBL's Building Energy Measurement and Performance Analysis assessed this uncatalogued, or "gray," literature and its value in the design of DSM programs.

Alan Meier visited the major utilities in California and reviewed gray reports, memos, data bases, and other documents. The gray literature was often scattered throughout different divisions and across regional offices. Some documents were excluded from this study to protect customer privacy.

This survey identified documents with both short- and long-term value for the design and evaluation of conservation programs. One of the more interesting examples was a reference to electrical ignitors in new gas ovens. This ignitor consumes 380 watts continuously while the oven is on, ironically consuming a significant amount of electricity while baking with gas. Indeed, this "gas" oven required more electricity to bake a potato than a microwave oven!

Gas ovens use more electricity than microwaves to bake a single potato!

Gray literature is also full of detailed case studies of efficiency improvements, not all of which were successful. One document, for example, described a malfunctioning community-wide thermal storage system. This central system consumed more electricity and peak power than designed. The investigating engineer concluded that replacing the existing central system with individual, conventional air conditioners would cut electricity, peak demand, and maintenance costs. This study provided many insights into the practical problems of building and maintaining a thermal storage system.

While there are obvious benefits from improved access to these documents, there are also many complications. Gray literature, for example, often contains confidential customer data, brand names, and candid opinions of products and people. Utilities would be reluctant to release this sensitive information without carefully screening or sanitizing the reports, which would probably dilute their impact. Meier will soon make recommendations regarding the cataloguing of gray literature and how these conflicting requirements can be reconciled.

-Brian Pon & Alan Meier

For more information, please contact Alan Meier.

More about the hot potatoes from Home Energy magazine Online.

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