Transactional Based Energy Systems

tools for improving energy efficiency in buildings

Buildings are increasingly technologically sophisticated; however, a transactive approach and platform to coordinate energy systems allowing building owners and grid service providers to participate in a shared energy economy that efficiently utilizes and conserves resources, as well as deliver energy-efficiency services, has yet to be attained.

homes and commercial buildings account for 40 percent of total primary energy consumption

Manufacturers of building equipment and appliances have developed proprietary platforms that provide limited forms of transactive communication and interfaces, however these platforms are narrowly applied and are not compatible with equipment and appliances from other manufacturers.

Distributed control and sensing software platforms are designed to manage a wide range of applications, including HVAC systems, electric vehicles, distributed-energy and whole building loads. Software agents allow communication between the power grid and physical devices or systems in a building to coordinate energy use and shift energy loads to off-peak times; also, communication between devices within a building and between buildings to facilitate the delivery of energy-efficiency services to buildings.

best practices for use in the small and medium-sized commercial buildings market

Transactional Energy integrates the concepts of transaction-based energy and transaction-based control with a market platform whereby:

transactions are negotiated exchanges of products, services, and rights enabling value allocations;

controls are means of executing transactions through automatic control of building equipment and other energy systems in response to data and value streams;

applications include capabilities, such as mobility, communications, autonomy and self-organization. Transaction-based energy is a structure that combines information, data and energy infrastructure to enable energy-based transactions and services for energy providers and customers and balance all energy needs against available resources.

Transaction-based frameworks describe the digital infrastructure, hardware and communications network that enables the trade of goods and services between participating parties, leading to a better use of available resources and a more efficient power system.

Building diagnostic and controls, primarily in the commercial buildings sector, are being developed and deployed, with application-based systems implementing strategies, that increase efficiency levels while improving resource allocation. Building controls and algorithms can also be part of retrofits in existing buildings, resulting in energy savings over time through improved operation and maintenance.

The introduction of sensors and controls, as well as information technology and communication protocols between the buildings and the electric grid, has led to digitized sensing, metering, controls and communication. This smart grid revolution is adding intelligence to the energy ecosystem, allowing power generators and grid operators to see the system at unprecedented levels of granularity. Added to these developments is the proliferation of photovoltaic cells, small-scale natural gas generators, as well as other distributed generation sources; giving building owners additional opportunities to reduce their energy costs and increase the reliability of their supply.

buildings as dispatchable assets that absorb fluctuations of intermittent renewable energy

Transaction-based building controls realize benefits by enabling automatic, market-based intra-building efficiency optimizations on a larger scale and beyond via interactions between various components in a complex energy system controlled by negotiating immediate and contingent contracts on a regular basis in addition to the conventional command and control pattern.

Existing buildings retrofits with transaction-based automatic fault detection and diagnostics and controls technologies on various types of commercial equipment provide insights into current and projected energy use, comfort preferences of tenants and generation capacity from distributed resources. This added technology base fulfills two main purposes:

owners and tenants benefit from the diagnostics, commissioning and retuning capabilities;

sensing and metering technology provide building-specific advice to owners, outlining return on investments and timescales for efficiency upgrades or calculate energy wasted per year.

Transaction-based controls provide specific advice for occupants willing to trade comfort and convenience by adjusting thermostat settings by letting temperatures fluctuate within a pre-determined band and getting compensated for the change:

End-user services include building diagnostics and valuations, which support the operations and maintenance of end-use assets while managing overall customer comfort and convenience.

Market services support the efficient utilization of resources and assets by helping customers modify their energy consumption behavior through mechanisms such as time-of-use and real-time pricing.

Grid services include ancillary or regulatory services, such as equipment power quality related performance modification that buildings could provide using transactive mechanisms, with compensation through new contracts or tariffs.

Social services may include participation in energy efficiency or emissions cap-and-trade markets using transactive mechanisms.

Connect with Tema

For Transaction-based Energy Systems

 Knowledge Tourism

tema@arezza.net  skype arezza1   arezza.org

Portland Oregon

Neighborhood Planning & Development Sustainability and Local Transport

Located between the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Portland is at the northern end of the Willamette Valley and river which flows through the city and links with the Columbia River. The citizens and their local government are notable for: land-use planning, local transport, environment conscious policies, high walkability, a large number bicyclists and ten thousand acres of public parks.

Neighborhoods The Office of Neighborhood Involvement serves as a conduit between city government and Portland's 95 neighborhoods, each represented by a volunteer association serving as liaison between residents and the city government. Portland and its surrounding metropolitan area also have the only directly elected metro planning organization the United States with responsibility for land use, transport planning and solid waste management.

Planning & Development Land use planning controls, dating as far back as 1903, statewide land conservation policies adopted in 1973 and the 1979 urban growth boundary program have led to urban areas where high-density development and traditional farm land with restrictions on non-agricultural development. Portland’s unique approach to development has prevented neglect of the downtown areas; UGBs and economic development zones have led to the development of a large portion of downtown, a large number of mid- and high-rise developments, and an overall increase in housing and business density.

Portland’s climate action plan cuts greenhouse gases to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050

Local Transport Metropolitan Portland’s commuters and visitors have many options to get around in America’s best pedestrian and transit-friendly city. Public transit is comprised of TriMet’s regional bus network and the Metropolitan Area Express – MAX - light rail system, which connects the city and suburbs while the WES Commuter Rail reaches Portland's western suburbs.

Portland Streetcar connects shopping areas and dense residential districts north and northwest of downtown as well as the east side of the Willamette River. The Portland Transit Mall on Fifth and Sixth avenues limits automobile access in favor or bus and light rail service. Portland’s mainline steam locomotives can be seen pulling excursion trains operated by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation.

Eight Percent of Portland’s Commuters – 10 times the national average - Bike to Work

Arts and Culture the Portland Art Museum and its Modern and Contemporary Art Wing is home to the city's largest art collection and is one of the largest in the country. Several downtown art galleries are present in the Pearl and the Alberta Arts Districts. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, located on the east bank of the Willamette River, contains a variety of hands-on exhibits covering the physical sciences, life science, earth science, technology, astronomy, and early childhood education.

Cultural Heritage & Museums, Water Resources & the Environment, Local Food Wine & Breweries, Community Public Transport Initiatives

Food Coffee and Brews Portland is home to 58 breweries and independent microbreweries, supported by locally produced barley, Cascade hops and pure mountain water from the Bull Run Watershed. Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year in celebration of beer and brewing, including the Oregon Brewers Festival, the Spring Beer and Wine Festival, the North American Organic Brewers Festival, the Portland International Beer Fest and the Holiday Ale Festival. There is also a lively street food scene with over 600 food carts and trucks, vegetarian-friendly eateries and dozens of coffee micro-roasteries and cafes.

The Outdoors the City’s Parks are considered among the best in America; 80% of Portlanders live within a half-mile to a park and sixteen percent of the city area is parkland. Parks and greenspace planning date back to 1903 and in recent years the Portland metropolitan region passed a regional bond measure to acquire 8,100 acres of natural areas for fish, wildlife, and people. Forest Park is the largest wilderness park within city limits in the United States, covering more than 5,000 acres. Mills End is the world's smallest park with a two-foot-diameter circle and an area of 0.3 m². Washington Park is home to the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden. Tom McCall Waterfront Park runs the entire length of the Willamette’s west bank for the length of downtown.

Connect with Tema

for Travel to Portland Oregon

Knowledge Tourism

tema@arezza.net    arezza.org  

Food and Art

 film graphic design music photography writing architecture

Impressionism Pointillism, Avant-Garde movements and Pop Art can all contribute to how we envision and consume food through books, articles and documents from museums, public and private institutions, collectors and artists.

the rituals and symbols of food featured in the arts over time

A Journey where works of art, drawings and architectural models, films, objects, documents, books, menus, and album covers that bring to life narratives that place works and images in historical, sociological and anthropological context, reflecting the interwoven aesthetics and design of eating rituals; exhibitions that use a variety of media, from the historical to the contemporary, to portray expression, creativity and communication in all cultures:

a layered and multi-sensorial perspective that looks to developments and solutions that relate to food, ranging from kitchen utensils, the dining table and the picnic, bars and restaurants to changes resulting from travel by road, plane and space. Also, the design and look of buildings dedicated to food production and food rituals;

an exploration of the special bond between the visual arts and food, revealing the rituals and pointing to idiosyncrasies in the experience of eating together;

a program enriched by masterpieces made available by museums, collectors and artists.

The History and Evolution of Food and Nutrition set in a wide-ranging scenario tracing the visual arts and various segments of industrial arts and mass culture, including:

the introduction of new foods in the Western world as shared through past Universal Expositions;

a representation of 1960’s products with the application of mass advertising and packaging;

the uses of new technologies in architecture, design and the art world, and an exploration of new opportunities for analysis and reflection.

Discover the Connection between 

Food and Art

with Knowledge Tourism

tema@arezza.net  skype arezza1   arezza.org

Food Technology and Biodiversity

best practices for a sustainable development

Food Security development and sharing with knowledge networks is comprised of experts, scientists, researchers and technicians that address core topics to share and transfer knowledge on global food security, as well as identifying sustainable development policies and programs.

Food Knowledge activities are divided into five main themes for research and innovation: 

sustainable management of natural resources;

improvement in the quantity and quality of agricultural production;

socio-economic dynamics and global markets;

sustainable development of small rural communities in marginal areas;

food consumption habits: diet, environment, society, economy and health.

Agrobiodiversity is achieved in greenhouses that have been cultivated with plants coming from different continents and different eras that tell stories through their shapes, sizes, colors and smells. The path through the greenhouses and open spaces becomes a sensory experience which connects us to both the earth and the food. A digital interface provides an additional means of information. The dialogue between human and plant generates reflection, curiosity, memories, desires and knowledge.

The result is the coming together of culture and nature, an expression of the many civilizations that, over time, have found in various places on the planet different ways to produce food and shape landscapes, with the aid of technical solutions.
Feeding a planet with ten billion people with conservation and a sensible use of resources without compromising the overall health of the ecosystem is achievable through research and practices such as those utilized in botanical gardens during the middle ages.

Discover

Food Technology and Biodiversity

with Knowledge Tourism

tema@arezza.net  skype arezza1   arezza.org

Knowledge Tourism in the Potomac River Valley

The Potomac Region

Travel and Education Experiences

Discover the rich historic heritage and the sustainability of the Potomac River Valley, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.
 

Professional Enrichment Itineraries The Potomac Region is home to great local, state and national institutions and a highly trained workforce in government, the private and nonprofit sectors of the economy that ensure a rewarding experience for your professional development, including In collaboration with local partners, we provide training, work study and other professional enrichment programs:

• New Town Centers and Old Established Ones
• Community Solar Projects
• Neighborhood Farms and Gardens
• Eco-friendly and LEED Certified Properties
• Watershed Management Projects
• Managing nonprofits and public-private partnerships

 River Trails A watershed is an area of land where water collects to flow into a river, a lake, or another large body of water; we all live inside a watershed.

River Trails   Geography Community & Climate Change 

 Coastal & River Waterfronts Resources

Group and Family Travel If you are planning a vacation to the Potomac Region, our team manages a series of eco-friendly activities and sustainable travel services for groups and families:

• Walking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding and more
• Annapolis and Chesapeake Bay Boat Tours
• Museums, Cultural Attractions & Nightlife
• A Day on a Working Farm
• Farmers and Arts & Crafts Markets
• Unique Culinary Experiences – wineries, breweries and local foods

Our knowledge of this region and our expertise in putting together personalized travel programs for individuals, families and small groups ensure a rewarding experience covering the history, traditions and culture, technological innovations and sustainable development in the the Middle Atlantic States.

Knowledge Tourism 

 tema@arezza.net   arezza.org