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Another big score for USA Hockey on Friday.

Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau whose season ended earlier Wednesday with a playoff sweep at the hands of Anaheim told reporters today hed be joining Team USA for the upcoming World Championships in Germany and France.

Gaudreaus announcement comes just days after another big name Buffalos Jack Eichel also agreed to join the squad.

All this makes for a pretty intriguing roster.

USA Hockey has adopted a youth movement, selecting collegiate players like Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen (a Buffalo draftee), Boston University forward Jordan Greenway (a Minnesota draftee), Notre Dame forward Anders Bjork (a Boston draftee) and Daniel Brickley, an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State-Mankato.

In addition to those, some quality NHL youngsters are also in the mix: Noah Hanifin, J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp and a pair of prized Arizona prospects Christian Dvorak and Clayton Keller. Detroit sophomore Dylan Larkin will also suit up for the Americans.

The 2017 Worlds get underway on May 5.

For several years now the Montreal Canadiens have been a very good, but very flawed hockey team.

Before this season their biggest issue was an overreliance on starting goaltender Carey Price, where they would be content to allow him to make as many saves as he had to make for the team to squeeze out a bunch of 2-1 or 2-0 wins. When he was healthy and on top of his game, his performance masked a lot of the flaws and the team won a lot of games (and he won a lot of awards). When he wasnt there a year ago, the entire thing collapsed on itself and the Michel Therrien-led Canadiens were exposed for the house of cards they always were. If they were ever going to make the leap to serious Stanley Cup contender they were going to have to find a way to offer their All-Everything goalie some additional support and give him some help.

Their apparent strategy in doing that for this season only seemed to create more flaws. They were on display in their six-game first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers.

From the very start of the offseason the Canadiens plan for this season seemed to revolve around getting bigger, tougher, stronger, grittier and more difficult to play against. Before the start of the 2015-17 season they traded Lars Eller for draft picks. They traded different draft picks for Andrew Shaw and his playoff experience and hate to lose mentality. They traded P.K. Subban for Shea Weber in a deal that will be dissected, analyzed and second-guessed for decades.

To be fair, they also added Alexander Radulov during the offseason, and he not only proved to be the best free agent signing by any team this summer, he was almost certainly the most impactful move the Canadiens made. But even with that addition, the direction general manager Marc Bergevin and then-coach Michel Therrien wanted to take the team in was clear.

It became even clearer at the trade deadline when almost every move the Canadiens made was centered around adding size and grit to the bottom six as opposed to some much-needed offensive punch. Along with adding Jordie Benn and Brandon Davidson to their defense, they made the following changes to their forwards before the deadline.

After the deadline Bergevin talked about not being able to add offense because the price was too high, and that a lot of their goal scoring issues could be fixed by improved confidence from within and that because playoff hockey gets tougher there would not be as many goals scored anyway.

From the Montreal Gazette:

For us, we felt we had a good start (and) we had four lines producing, said Bergevin. Of late, that hasnt been the case but I feel comfortable that, as guys get more confidence as we move forward, theyll be able to chip in. And down the road, there wont be as many goals and there will be those one-goal hockey games 2-1, 3-2, 1-0. Its a tight league.

I always say you can play with a bad shoulder or a bad foot but if you have no confidence, you cant play, said Bergevin. Also down the stretch, its hard to score. You look at Columbus last night, one of the highest scoring teams in the league. You have to grind it out to score goals down the stretch.

In other words: We might as well just try to embrace continuing to win every game 2-1.

As for the players they did add, those three forwards (Ott, King, Martinsen) combined to score 15 goals this season. These were their big trade deadline acquisitions.

The Canadiens played two games in this series where all three of them played in the same game. They lost one 2-0. They were 18 seconds away from losing the other one if not for some late-game (and overtime) heroics from Radulov to set up the tying goal in the closing seconds then score the winner early in overtime.

When it came to the decisive Game 6, when Martinsen and Shaw were out of the lineup (and Torrey Mitchell, who had played well in his limited action in this series was, also scratched) Brian Flynn and Michael McCarron (seven combined goals between the two this season) were inserted in.

The Canadiens were basically playing as a (at best) three-line team when it came to creating offense, and that is simply not good enough, especially when the whole mindset of the team seemed to be focussed on getting bigger and tougher. It runs counter to most everything the NHLs most successful teams have done in recent years. The Pittsburgh Penguins are 20-9 the past two seasons with one of the NHLs smallest, least physical rosters. When the Chicago Blackhawks had their mini-dynasty they were consistently one of the smallest, least physical teams in the league. Even the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that reached the NHLs final four in two of the past three seasons, did it with a collection of forwards that can be described as undersized.

It is a speed, skill league, and you cant beat teams anymore by simply grinding them down with bigger, stronger players (you could argue there was never a time that was possible, but thats a different argument for a different day). The Canadiens seemed to lose the plot on that one from the start, and then doubled down on it later in the season just before the playoffs began.

The Canadiens added their size and grit. But the end result was the same as we have seen from them in recent years: A flawed team that couldnt produce anywhere near enough offense to make a deep playoff run with arguably the NHLs best goalie playing at a high level.

Only two series remain in the first-round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and both of them continue on Sunday.

First, the Boston Bruins look to push their first-round series to a seventh game after their double overtime win on Friday when they host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday afternoon. That game will be followed by Washington Capitals trying to, as Barry Trotz wants to see, push the Toronto Maple Leafs off the cliff.

Here is everything you for Sundays games, both of which will be shown on the NBC networks and streamed online.

Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET

Network: NBC (Stream Online Here)

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Washington Capitals

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Network: NBCSN (Stream Online Here)

As the Art Ross winner and Hart Trophy frontrunner, theres no doubt that Connor McDavid is the catalyst for the Edmonton Oilers.

Still, the scary thing for opponents is that, while he created chances against the San Jose Sharks, McDavid wasnt exactly lighting them up for points.

Nope, as Mike Rupp and Jeremy Roenick discuss in the video above, the Oilers advanced thanks as much to depth scorers and deft goaltending from Cam Talbot as they did because of McDavids blistering combination of skill and speed.

Now, the Anaheim Ducks rank as an interesting opponent. While the Sharks could slow McDavid with one of the few blueliners who could really give him trouble relatively speaking in Marc-Edouard Vlasic, it remains to be seen if Anaheim can accomplish the same.

(A fully healthy Hampus Lindholm would increase their odds, mind you.)

Either way, the Oilers other guys deserve some credit, and they get it in the video above.

Saturday was a great day for fans of brevity and revenge.

Three of a possible three series ended on this day, with the Rangers dispatching the Canadiens, the Blues eliminating the better Wild, and the Oilers knocking off the Sharks in six.

The Rangers await either the Bruins or Senators and the Penguins face the winner of the Leafs Capitals series out East, but we now know how the West shakes out.

St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators

Both teams provided some of the upsets of this young postseason. Each features a red-hot goalie in Jake Allen and Pekka Rinne. Interesting.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers

There will be a lot of orange. We may also see a ton of goals with Ryan Getzlaf on fire, Oscar Klefbom headlining the list of unhealthy playersand Connor McDavid possibly able to really take off against a Ducks defense that is beat up in its own right.

Its already been a strange season out West, with the Kings missing the playoffs and first-round exits for the Sharks and Blackhawks. Get ready and giddy for things to get even weirder as the postseason goes along.

Here is the original post:
Gaudreau joins Eichel as latest additions to USA's Worlds roster - NBCSports.com

The Cavaliers might be on to something.

They certainly have struggled in the last part of the regular season and early portion of the playoffs with maintaining leads in the fourth quarter. The epic game was in the regular season when they led by 26 points in the fourth quarter on April 9 against the Atlanta Hawks and eventually lost in overtime. They gave up a lead and lost to the Hawks in the previous game, as well.

In Game 1 of the playoffs, the Cavs lost a double-digit lead and then nearly lost the game in the fourth quarter quarter to the Pacers as C.J. Miles missed a 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer to allow the Cavs to escape with a one-point win.

Whether it is lack of focus, disinterest, being "too cool" as Tyronn Lue said, here's where the Cavs could learn something.

In Game 3, they tried something different. Instead of building a big lead, they built a big deficit--as they trailed by as much as 26 points in the second quarter. They trailed by 25 points, 74-49 at halftime and then staged the biggest halftime come-from-behind win in NBA playoff history.

The big deficit seemed to wake them up.

Whether they were embarrassed or the Pacers thought they had the game won, the Cavs looked like a different team when they came out playing defense to start the third quarter. After giving up 74 points in the first half, they held Indiana to just 40 points in the second half.

A disclaimer here: Now, I would much rather have the Cavs build a lead throughout the game and close it out, but they have to stay focused on the task at hand.

There is no question the Cavs have a better team player per player this season than they did in their championship season a year ago. Just the additions of Kyle Korver and Deron Williams alone should be enough to allow the Cavs to breathe easier.

However, they have to play. They cannot just show up and think their opponent is just going to lie down and let them win. It would be best if the Cavs would come out and play with focus and determination for all four quarters, but if spotting their opponent a lead causes them to re-calibrate, I'm all for it.

The Cavs have a chance to sweep the Pacers on Sunday and then sit back and rest up for the next series with the winner of the Raptors and Bucks. The Pacers are a discouraged team and the Cavs could come out and put them away early--that is if they decide to play for the entire game.

Let's see how they approach Game 4.

Link:
Cavs might have found the secret - Scout

ST. PAUL, Minn. After a month out with an injury, Blues center Paul Stastny will be back on the ice for Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.

As he did in Friday's practice, Stastny will skate on the Blues' top line with Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.

The Blues are making one other change to the lineup, too, inserting Jori Lehtera. He has been a healthy scratch the past three games.

So, Stastny and Lehtera will be in uniform for Game 5, making rookies Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford healthy scratches.

The additions come with the Blues holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals series.

There is some anxiety within the fanbase getting to this point with a 2-0 loss to the Wild in Game 4. But hypothetically, the Blues could have lost Game 1 to Minnesota and then reeled off three straight victories. The way it's played out in reality, they won the first three and lost the last one. But either way, they're still ahead 3-1.

Blues coach Mike Yeo understands the angst, but says his club remains in an enviable position regardless of the pattern of the win-loss record: W-W-W-L or L-W-W-W.

"It is part of the process," Yeo said. "Those are the shifts in momentum. That's what you have to deal with. You win a game and you have to guard against feeling too good about yourself and what's going on and when you lose a game you have to make sure you're guarded against not having the negative thoughts and going in worrying about the future outcomes.

"We have a job to do and we put ourselves in a good spot. We have a real good opportunity, one we should be real excited about. I'm excited about the game (Saturday). What a great situation and opportunity to go into a real tough building against a really tough team and lay it on the line against for a great cause. That's something we should be excited about."

The is some debate as to which team the Blues or Minnesota is facing the most pressure heading into Game 5 Saturday. Certainly it's a must-win game for the Wild, or else their season is over, but for the Blues, trying a second time to close out the series and on the road this time will be no easy chore.

"Weve got the loudest fans in the league, and theyre behind us, and theyre encouraging us," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I dont know if a guy doesnt want to play in front of their home crowd rather than the road crowd. So were happy to be here. (But) were down three games yet. So no matter how you look at it, the pressures all on us."

But if the Wild can come up with a victory, there's no question which locker room you'll be able to find the biggest burden.

"We get that win, and all of a sudden theyre second guessing," Minnesota forward Charlie Coyle said. "Theyre still in the drivers seat, but theyre second guessing. The pressures on, and now theyre thinking, Were going back home, Game 6, if we lose this one, its Game 7 back in their barn, and they're starting to doubt themselves. Its such a mental thing here. Thats what you learn as it goes along. We just focus on (Saturday)."

The Blues are too.

"We want to give them our best shot yet," Blues forward Kyle Brodziak said. "We're not looking at it as home or away, we're just focused on how we're supposed to play. There's a reason why that team's won so many games in the year they're a good team. The way they're built, they're deep all the way through their lineup ... they make it difficult the way they play. We've talked about it. We feel that there's certain areas that we can get better at to maybe exploit some things. We're going to have to bring it to the table (Saturday)."

See the rest here:
Stastny returns to Blues' lineup in Game 5 - STLtoday.com

NEW YORK -- New York Mets manager Terry Collins believes he has a team that can contend with the Washington Nationals for the National League East title. But with 145 games to play, the Mets might already be running short on time -- and bodies -- to keep pace with the Nationals.

The Nationals will look to lengthen their early season lead over the Mets on Saturday afternoon, when the two teams play the middle game of a three-game series at Citi Field. Washington (11-5) won the opener 4-3 on Friday in 11 innings to move 3 1/2 games ahead of New York (8-9).

The Mets fielded a lineup missing four Opening Day starters.

First baseman Lucas Duda (left elbow) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (left hamstring) is expected to miss the series with an injury suffered Thursday. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (left hamstring) and catcher Travis d'Arnaud (right wrist) are each day to day, though both players were able to pinch-hit on Friday.

"I've got a good team," Collins said of the Mets, who have lost six of seven since a 7-3 start. "They're only good when they're playing. We've been through it before."

Eight of the Mets' 10 Opening Day starters last season (they opened the campaign at the Kansas City Royals in a rematch of the 2015 World Series) spent time on the disabled list.

"It's frustrating, the fact that I know we're better than what's going on right now," Collins said.

The Nationals, meanwhile, are getting healthier. Second baseman Daniel Murphy returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's game with a right leg injury. Shortstop Trea Turner was activated from the 10-day disabled list. Turner, who missed 11 days with a right hamstring injury, didn't start but drew a bases-loaded walk to force him the go-ahead run in the 11th inning. He is expected to start Saturday.

Left fielder Jayson Werth (left groin) missed his second straight game, but Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Werth was feeling better and could return for Sunday's series finale.

The additions of Turner and Werth should provide a boost to the Nationals, who are in the midst of a stretch of 26 games in 27 days.

"We had low energy," Baker said after Friday's win. "But the guys kept pushing and pushing. And that's what these guys are all telling each other -- just keep pushing and good things can happen. And (they) did for us tonight."

The Mets' injury bug may dictate who they send to the mound on Saturday. Right-hander Jacob deGrom, who was scheduled to start Friday before he was scratched due to a stiff neck, is the listed starter.

Collins said left-hander Sean Gilmartin would start if deGrom, who said Friday he still had trouble turning his neck to the left, is unable to go.

DeGrom is 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals.

Gonzalez is 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA in 20 career starts against the Mets but 8-1 with a 1.64 ERA and one complete game -- a one-hit shutout on Sept. 9, 2013 -- in 13 starts at Citi Field.

See the article here:
Mets try to hang with Nationals - My Twin Tiers.com

Dwain Livengood can save money on his home renovation project by doing the work himself. But he also knows that do-it-yourself projects in historic homes like his 100-year-old farmhouse require extra planning and research, and that mistakes can be costly.

Self-awareness is pretty huge, says Livengood, who grew up in the house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is the third generation of his family to own it. Saving money isnt worth it if in the end it looks like an amateur did it.

He is planning the first major renovations to the property, including a new kitchen, hardwood floor restorations and window repair.

DIY fails in historic homes can do more than look bad; they can seriously damage a homes structure and character, says Jody Robinson, historic preservation officer for the city of Bellevue, Kentucky. DIY has a place in historic home renovation, she says, but it needs to be well-researched.

If your home or neighborhood has a historical designation, there probably are restrictions on what you can do, particularly to exteriors. Consult with local authorities before initiating projects or hiring contractors.

The difference with a historic home is the materials used and how they were constructed, Robinson says.

Slate roofs, wood gutters, weight-and-pulley windows, plaster walls and old building materials require special attention, experts say. Luckily, there are numerous places where owners of historic homes can find information about which projects they should and shouldnt attempt on their own.

Cities, preservations societies, restoration enthusiasts, and even businesses that specialize in historic renovation offer workshops and classes. Window repair, plastering, basic fireplace fixes and tiling are among the most popular subjects.

Understanding your homes construction and appreciating historic renovation methods are the first step, says Benjamin Curran, department head for historic preservation at Savannah Technical College in Georgia. Through its Historic Homeowners Academy, the school teaches classes geared to the do-it-yourselfer.

When homeowners try to apply modern solutions to old homes a remodel can easily turn into a re-muddle, Curran says. For example, using the wrong mortar can damage old bricks.

He recommends taking a class and consulting with a professional or historical preservationist.

From there, its a question of what is achievable. What is the breadth of your skill set? Where might you stretch yourself and learn more? Curran says.

Jim Wigton, president of the Monrovia (California) Historic Preservation Group, says it was formed nearly 40 years ago by residents who were restoring homes and wanted to share knowledge.

At the beginning of the organization, we invited craftspeople in to share how to do things, says Wigton, adding that group also offers a home tour and works on city-wide preservation projects.

Livengood, who has experience restoring antique carriage and tractors, plans on repairing the 40 wood windows in his foursquare house this spring. Using tips from a professional restoration company, he will replace the rope that holds the cast-iron weights that allow the windows to move up and down, and will paint the windows interiors. Hes hired a professional to tackle the exterior. He anticipates the work he does will reduce the repair costs by $200 per window.

Windows are a good DIY project because the work is more time-consuming than difficult, says Danielle Keperling, who with her parents and husband owns Historic Restorations in Lancaster. Her company is open to teaching the how-tos in order to reduce project costs, she says.

To maintain a homes historical character, repairing old windows rather than installing new ones makes a big difference, says Keperling.

Windows show the age of the house, she says.

Whenever Doug Heavilin hires a professional to work on his 1902 Queen Anne Victorian in Franklin, Indiana, he shadows the person, soaking up as much information as he can.

Ive learned 90 percent of what I know about plumbing by sitting there and watching a plumber, says Heavilin, who is restoring the 4,700-square-foot house with his wife, Amy. Theyve finished five of the homes 22 rooms.

During their restoration journey, theyve learned to install tile, hang wallpaper and drywall, repair plaster, and match stain and paint. He once engineered a solution to create rounded replacement pieces for their homes turret.

The Heavilins read books and magazines, watch videos, take classes and swap tips with other homeowners before starting a project.

But they also know things might not go as planned, and say its important to be flexible. You never know what youre going to find, says Amy Heavilin, recalling the time they discovered that their dining room chandelier was wired to a pipe with a coat hanger.

Were at the point where Im pretty comfortable with whatever we find, Doug Heavilin adds. Im not always happy, but Im comfortable.

Excerpt from:
DIY work on older houses takes extra know-how, flexibility | The ... - Prescott Daily Courier

SIDEBAR

City seeing decline in water levels

By HOLLY DILLEMUTH

H&N REPORTER

Randy Travis, who manages the water and geothermal Division at the city of Klamath Falls, said he's seen a decline in water levels in the geothermal aquifer since reaching out to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 2012.

Travis describes two different types of aquifers that lend to differences in how water transfers below the earth's surface clay (basalt) and sand.

You can have a sand aquifer where most of it is sand and water moves through there fairly frequently, Travis said. Or, you can have a basalt aquifer where water moves through clay, not real quickly.

The Klamath Falls area geothermal aquifer is basalt, and was developed through clay of varying type and color, Travis said.

I always describe it to people as looking like a sponge, Travis said. That sponge will hold a certain amount of water. That's kind of what the groundwater aquifer begins to look like.

Travis said the drop in water levels are minimal and believes the increase in precipitation this year could change water levels in the coming years.

He estimates cooling of some geothermal wells could involve environmental factors such as the recent drought in Klamath County.

As it relates to declining water levels, Travis said: I think it's probably more of a factor of the dry years that we've had recently. We haven't seen a drop in temperature in either one of our wells and have only seen drops in the water levels.

More online users

Travis said he has heard through the grapevine that some private well owners believe additional use in the aquifer by users such as Oregon Tech, the city of Klamath Falls, the Herald and News building and anyone else on the ridge who has tapped into it as contributors to the cooling of private geothermal wells.

One-hundred percent of water pumped from city wells for geothermal use is re-injected into the geothermal aquifer, Travis said, which he added shows that the city isn't causing the lower water levels.

You may be taking some temperature out of it but you're not depleting the water level, he said. It potentially could be a water level issue, he said.

Water levels in the city's wells varies depending on time of year and whether the wells are being pumped. However, with that said, the static (no pumps running in either well) water levels in both wells appear to be approximately six to 10 feet lower as measured over the last 10-plus years Although the water levels in the city's wells appears to be lower when compared to historic levels, 100 percent of that water is being re-injected into another well located approximately one mile away.

Running at 'half-speed'

Travis led H&N staffers on a tour Friday of the city's two geothermal wells in the area of Laguna and Old Fort Road.

Opening the door to one of the wells, he noted the well measured 216 degrees Fahrenheit, an optimal temperature.

Nice and warm, he said, once inside the well room. This is a good place to be in the winter time.

The city measures flows in gallons per minute for the Geothermal Division, and personnel record the speed of the pump and the temperature three times a week, as well as the water measurement once per quarter.

On Friday Travis estimated the flows were approximately 400 to 500 gallons per minute, down from an approximate 950 1,000 gallons per minute on an average day in January.

Right now, we're running about half speed, Travis said. It's a relatively nice day so customers aren't needing a huge amount of heat.

We're pumping it out of this well, down through the heat-exchanger and then re-injecting it a well at the heat-exchanger, he added.

Sample surveys

Although the city doesn't make a practice of monitoring most private wells, Travis said the city started taking water level measurements of six to seven private wells, with permission of residents, eight to 10 years ago in order to monitor the general health of the geothermal aquifer.

There are roughly 500-600 private geothermal wells in the Klamath Falls area, according to John Lund, former director of the Geo Heat Center.

With that small of a cross-section (sampling), I suppose you could miss something, Travis said.

When asked if the geothermal aquifer is healthy, Travis said: It's obvious the water level has dropped and everybody admits that. What's the cause of it? Who knows. In all likelihood, my belief is that it's just a natural cycle. Five years from now, we could be looking at much higher water levels. That would have to do with the wet years we are experiencing now.

For all that is known about geothermal energy, Travis emphasizes much is still unknown about the energy.

I've heard a couple of our local consultants refer to it as 'black magic,' Travis said. I think that's tongue in cheek You don't have a window to see what's going on under the ground.

"I think it's still a very viable resource, but a person has to weigh that cost effectiveness with the benefits, Travis added.

It's never free heat in that at some point in time, your system's going to fail, whether the well collapses or pumps fail or pipes leaks. There's a cost always associated with it.

View original post here:
What's hot, what's not - Herald and News

Published on April 23rd, 2017 | by The Beam

April 23rd, 2017 by The Beam

The Beam interview series, edition 34: Frdric Cramp

CleanTechnica keeps on publishing some of The Beam interviews and opinion pieces twice a week. The Beam magazine takes a modern perspective on the energy transition, interviewing inspirational people from around the world that shape our sustainable energy future.

This week Anne-Sophie Garrigou, journalist at The Beam, interviewed Frdric Cramp, a former rocket scientist at NASA who became an entrepreneur and investor in the energy sector. Cramps last startup, BeeBryte, is at the nexus of energy management, IT and cleantech.

Hello Frdric Cramp and thank you for taking the time to talk to The Beam. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself. Where does your commitment for the environment comes from?

In the late 90s at NASA I used satellite instruments to study the earth, especially natural disasters and climate change. It was frightening to see how fast the ice caps were melting for instance.

From then on, I decided to focus my career on serving the environment and developing cleaner energy solutions. Although I later shifted from engineering to business development and strategy then finance, Ive remained committed to contributing to the energy transition.

As an entrepreneur, I spent about 10 years bringing renewable energy and energy efficiency to developing countries in Asia. It was exciting and rewarding yet quite challenging! I guess I love action and cannot stop!

I founded BeeBryte, my latest startup, with my business partner Patrick Leguillette in 2015. Were based in France & Singapore and have now a team of 21. The company is intending to become a leader in energy intelligence solutions for commercial & industrial buildings. Our goal is to make buildings use less electricity and become smarter.

What do we call energy intelligence and whats the role of your company in the process?

Thanks to a combination of affordable solar panels, batteries, and internet connected building automation systems, energy users can now modulate the use of controllable / flexible load (e.g HVAC), release stored energy to meet a portion of the building load, reduce/increase its consumption of grid power according to price signals and capture the rewards by optimizing electric service consumption and cost while conducting business as usual and not affecting comfort levels.

However, to capture this opportunity, one needs an energy intelligence solution using data analytics to create significant economic value. And thats where BeeBryte comes in.

We add value at three levels by facilitating the integration of renewable energy, helping customers lower their energy costs while increasing their power supply security and making the power grid more reliable and resilient.

Ive read that you are developing a cloud-based energy intelligence software which is expected to reduce utility bills by up to 40%. How is this possible?

Our cloud-based Software-as-a-Service controls in real-time both batteries (that we install in the buildings) and existing heating / cooling equipment (e.g HVAC) to benefit from the cheapest tariff and deliver up to 40% utility bill savings.

We temporarily shift heating/cooling loads and use batteries as energy buffers to

We have a solution that helps large energy consumers buy more electricity from the grid when it is cheaper and less when it is expensive.

If I understand well, people will be able to buy and sell the energy through your system?

In more and more countries, large energy consumers can buy their electricity on the spot market where price varies at any point in time. We make sure they buy at the right time.

In other places, BeeBryte is partnering with electricity retailers who are buying energy on the wholesale electricity spot market and then supplying it at flat rate (or on/off peak tariff) to their customers.

By installing BeeBrytes solution in their clients buildings, electricity retailers can generate new revenues using their customers flexibility to buy energy at the cheapest price and to sell new grid services. It is for the electricity retailer a new hedging mechanism leading to higher margins.

Then, they can engage and retain their customers by sharing a portion of these savings through discounted rate plans. It is a win-win situation!.

Read the entire interview here.

Subscribe to The Beam here.

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Tags: BeeBryte, Frdric Cramp

The Beam The Beam Magazine is a quarterly print publication that takes a modern perspective on the energy transition. From Berlin we report about the people, companies and organizations that shape our sustainable energy future around the world. The team is headed by journalist Anne-Sophie Garrigou and designer Dimitris Gkikas. The Beam works with a network of experts and contributors to cover topics from technology to art, from policy to sustainability, from VCs to cleantech start ups. Our language is energy transition and that's spoken everywhere. The Beam is already being distributed in most countries in Europe, but also in Niger, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Japan, Chile and the United States. And this is just the beginning. So stay tuned for future development and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Medium.

See more here:
Frdric Cramp: "In more and more countries, large energy consumers can buy their electricity on the spot market ... - CleanTechnica

After voters passed the Move Seattle transportation levy in 2015, Seattle spent less than half the money planned for levy projects last year. But the city says its still on track to complete projects on time.

Lets say youre remodeling your kitchen. Its a big remodel three months, $30,000 total, $10,000 to be spent each month.

After the first month you take stock. The total cost hasnt changed, but youve spent only $5,000 and youll ramp up the spending in the next two months.

But most (not all) of the projects you wanted to get done in month one the blueprints, the floor tiles, the sink are done.

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Youve spent only half the money you planned on, but it looks like youre on pace. Whats going on?

Thats the situation the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in, one year into the citys $930 million Move Seattle levy, passed by voters in 2015 to improve streets, sidewalks, buses, bike lanes and freight travel in the city.

Seattle spent only 60 percent of the levy funds it planned on spending in 2016. But the citys transportation projects are not funded solely by the levy. Include other city, state and federal funds, and the city has spent less than half of what it planned on levy projects in 2016.

Seattle budgeted $249 million in total dollars city, state and federal for 2016 projects that were included in the levy proposal. It spent only $122 million.

But look at the list of projects. From a 2015 draft of high priority street repaving projects that were to be funded in 2016 by Move Seattle, five of six 23rd Avenue, Renton Avenue South, Meridian Avenue North, South Spokane Street and Greenwood Avenue North are done or virtually done.

From that list, only repaving Third Avenue downtown has yet to begin. Its likely to start next month.

Other projects have been delayed as the agency worked with the City Council and community groups on the details.

Long-planned improvements to Fauntleroy Way Southwest in West Seattle, which had been budgeted for $7 million in 2016, were pushed back due to a City Council request to study burying utility lines underground.

About $6 million in spending, for rehabbing bridges and retrofitting them for earthquakes, was pushed back. SDOT says its progress on those projects has been a little slow, but plans to get back on track.

The levys passage didnt obligate funds to any specific projects, just to three broad categories of transportation improvements: safe routes, maintenance and repair, and congestion relief.

SDOT officials point to two reasons why spending lagged behind projections.

Its the first year of a nine-year levy, they say, so projects tend to be in design mode rather than construction mode. Construction costs more than design, so spending will ramp up soon enough.

And, they said, the 2016 numbers account only for money actually spent paid to contractors not money thats been obligated as part of an ongoing project. When SDOT reran the numbers to include money thats been obligated, they said the spending comes very close to the budgeted number.

Theres a lot of work that needs to go on before we hit the big-dollar spending of big construction projects, said Karen Melanson, SDOTs deputy director of finance administration. When we set those levy amounts, that was our plan at the time, and as we get into this, this is going to continue to happen, with adjustments along the way.

Doug MacDonald, a former Washington state secretary of transportation who has followed Move Seattles progress closely, said the low spending isnt cause for alarm, but SDOTs rationale doesnt make much sense.

When youre managing a program of $930 million over nine years, with God knows how many projects, the shifting back and forth to get the money to where you can best use it is the art of managing a project successfully, MacDonald said.

Anybody whos remodeled a kitchen knows that when the contractor comes in and pulls off the microwave, all of a sudden you need to rewire the fuse box, MacDonald continued. You didnt know that until you started, but managing that as it happens is how you get your kitchen remodel done.

But SDOTs reasoning for the slow spending, MacDonald said, could have been factored in before spending estimates were made.

Its no excuse at all to say design costs less than construction, he said. You set up an expectation, and the question is how youre doing with the expectation.

And spending is not going to ramp up, or even catch up, immediately.

SDOT also has adjusted its Move Seattle spending figures going forward. It now projects to spend about 21 percent less than anticipated this year and 14 percent less in 2018, before increasing projected spending by 30 percent in 2019.

Of the 35 annual metrics that SDOT set to measure Move Seattles progress things like painting crosswalks, adding sidewalks and improving traffic signals the agency said it hit all but two of its goals in 2016.

It missed on creating more calmer residential streets with lower car volumes and speeds (neighborhood greenways), and on protected bike lanes where it built a little less than half of its 7.5-mile 2016 goal. SDOT says it expects to build nearly 5 miles of protected bike lanes this year.

And after leaving a long-planned protected bike lane on Union Street out of updates to its plans to add a Rapid Ride bus line on Madison Street, SDOT quickly reversed course and said it would be reinstated.

Betty Spieth-Croll, the co-chair of the levys oversight committee, said she doesnt think the levy has gotten a slow start, and is not concerned about lower spending numbers.

I dont think, fundamentally, theres any problem, Spieth-Croll said. My gut is that there isnt any issue that the money is not being spent on projects, but I dont think, as a committee, we have yet seen the kind of reporting that shows us the whole picture.

More here:
Seattle transportation levy spending less than projected, but city says no problem - The Seattle Times

A Ford Fusion driven by Shirley Mattson of The Dalles came out of a parking lot across from the Stratton Agency Insurance Services office in the 200 block of East Fourth Street and plowed into the insurance companys office building. Mattson said the car just took off. Photo by Jesse Burkhardt.

The Dalles Northwest Cherry Festival got off to an unusually impactful start on Friday with an incident that wasnt part of the scheduled activities.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., a black sedan came roaring out of a parking lot across from the Stratton Agency, an insurance company at 212 E. Fourth Street. The car jumped the curb and rammed into the office building with such force that bricks and cinder blocks were pushed several feet into the interior.

Glass, sheetrock, bricks and other debris was sent flying inside and the entire building shuddered, according to an employee in the office at the time.

I was sitting in my office with a customer and Boom! said Breanna Wimber, a Stratton Agency insurance agent. What the heck happened?! It was extremely scary. It was so loud and it shook the whole building. I didnt hear any screeching or anything, just Boom.

The car was driven by 83-year-old Shirley Mattson, a resident of The Dalles, who was transported by ambulance to Mid-Columbia Medical Center.

Mattson said her car, a 2009 Ford Fusion, just took off on her as she left the U.S Bank drive-thru.

I came through and the car just started speeding. The car would not stop. Ive never had that happen in all my years driving, she said. It was the fault of the car. Im going to have that car looked over very thoroughly.

Mattson suffered no broken bones, and said she hoped to be out of the hospital within a day or two.

She added that she was very grateful no one in the building was injured.

And Im so glad there were no cars or pedestrians, she said.

A desk near the front of the Stratton Agency office was knocked askew in the wreckage. The desk normally would have been occupied by Eileen Teas, and her desk and chair were mangled in the mishap. In a stroke of fortune, however, Teas was not there that day.

When Wimber dashed out of her office, the first thing she realized was that Teas normally would have been at the twisted desk.

Eileen would have been here today, but she has been off the last two days, Wimber said.

Her chair is mangled and facing the opposite way. Her briefcase was thrown about 15 feet toward the back.

According to Wimber, Mattson was screaming and had a bloody nose. Wimber went to her and tried to calm her down.

She said the car wouldnt stop, Wimber recalled.

Another Stratton agent, Liz Narciso, was on her way to the Fourth Street office when the accident happened.

I was sitting at Eileens desk yesterday, and I was going to be there today, Narcisco said. I had some work I was going to finish, and then I was going to come over to the office, but I didnt get around to it because I got a couple phone calls. Im feeling grateful I wasnt there.

The buildings owner, John Geiger, said he figured it would take about two months to repair the building, and the repair bill will be costly.

Id say $50,000-$60,000 on the low side, Geiger said.

A crew from Dave Adams Construction boarded up the building and made it safe and secure until full repairs can have made.

Wimber pointed out that the business was scheduled to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 3 to commemorate the opening of their new office.

It looks like well have to call the Chamber of Commerce and reschedule, Wimber said.

See original here:
Mishap sends car into office building - Dalles Chronicle

George Senerth (right) WhidbeyHealth executive director of facilities, checks on construction progress of the new addition. Its innovative heating and cooling system is predicted to reduce energy use by half. Photo by Patricia Guthrie/Whidbey News-Times

Climate change is coming to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center.

An innovative heating and cooling system being installed at its $50 million new addition could turn the facility into one of the most energy-efficient hospitals in the country.

Known as a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, it will respond quickly when patients want their rooms warmer or cooler and it could cut energy use and bills in half.

Comparing it to conventional systems, Im told with the VRF system the energy savings is 50 percent, said George Senerth, executive director of facilities for the healthcare system.

Cutting back on its heating and cooling bills means less demand for electricity, and ultimately less burning of fossil fuels.

This is very unique for the West Coast. Its energy efficient but not with high cost, says Don Iverson, mechanical engineer at Coffman Engineers, Inc., a consultant on the project. Youre not creating a very high construction cost to get energy efficiency.

WhidbeyHealth Medical Centers new 39-patient room addition, designed by HDR Architecture, is expected to open by summer. The hospitals contractor is Andersen Construction.

Construction is about 82 percent complete, Senerth said.

Seattle-based Coffman Engineers suggested using the VFR system as a way to reduce electric bills and more efficiently provide climate control. The Coupeville-based hospital depends on propane and electricity for heating and cooling, which are more expensive than natural gas.

Hospitals may heal people, but they tend to be unhealthy for the environment.

Thats because most hospitals rely on a traditional reheat system that blows cold air into hundreds of rooms at the same time from a large, centrally-located ventilation system.

The air is delivered cold because some interior rooms need cooling. Rooms that dont need cooling have individual heating coils that heat the cooled air back up to room temperature.

As much as 40 percent of all energy consumed by a hospital is used for reheating, Iverson says.

Instead of blowing air continuously throughout a building using a standard compressor, VFR systems use variable speed compressors and technology that sense when a room needs to be cooled or heated.

With variable refrigerant flow technology, it spreads out the control of the system into a zoned basis, Iverson explained. Heating coils are controlled by the room, not the central system.

Thermostats exist in patient rooms now, Senerth said, but theyre inefficient.

Our system is so old that if a patient turns it down to 68 degrees from 74 degrees, it will take awhile, he said.

The VFR system recovers heat from where its not needed and redirects it. It also senses when a rooms temperature rises as more people gather, such as in a conference room. It adjusts accordingly.

Whidbeys addition is designed with two long corridors with windows facing south and north. Although built as a two-story addition, only one floor is being used for patients.

We have north-facing patient rooms and south-facing patient rooms, Iverson said. We need to cool the south facing and we need to heat north facing. This system is ideal for that.

The VRF concept was developed in Japan decades ago and caught on in Europe long before it came to the United States.

Its been installed in mid-size buildings throughout the country, but WhidbeyHealth is the first health care facility to install it large-scale for a patient wing.

Students with the University of Washingtons Integrated Design Lab are tracking the project to gauge energy savings. It could qualify for a maximum rebate from Puget Sound Energy, which requires a 25 percent reduction in energy usage.

It will reduce the load of electricity needed from Puget Sound Energy and it will save them coal, Iverson said.

Another plus is that patients will breathe air thats only been recirculated from their own rooms and not the entire building as is done with conventional systems, Iverson explained.

In addition to projected energy savings, the WhidbeyHealth addition is designed to reduce water usage with low flow plumbing fixtures and less irrigation, said Annette Himelick with HDR Architecture.

A courtyard being built as an outdoor extension of the existing cafeteria is designed with conservation in mind, Himelick added.

The site is landscaped with 100 percent Pacific Northwest native plants, 65 percent of them native to the island. These native plants do not have the same irrigation needs that other plants require.

See the rest here:
Climate change predicted for new hospital | Whidbey News-Times - Whidbey News-Times (subscription)