physics

REMP

REMP is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand REMP rather than just read about it. In short: REMP, or Renewable Energy Mitigation Program, is a model of promoting renewable energy through local government building codes that was launched in Colorado in 2000. Overview REMP is a system that encourages the installation of renewable energy systems in partnership with local government agencies.

Key takeaways

REMP belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect REMP to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of REMP from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

REMP, or Renewable Energy Mitigation Program, is a model of promoting renewable energy through local government building codes that was launched in Colorado in 2000.

Overview REMP is a system that encourages the installation of renewable energy systems in partnership with local government agencies. It was launched in the City of Aspen and Pitkin County in 2000, the first of its kind in the world. Under a REMP program, homeowners who build very energy-consumptive houses, add on to their existing house to render it very energy-consumptive, or install exterior energy use systems must mitigate their energy use. Proper mitigation methods include installing home renewable energy systems to produce their own power or pay into a fund that is later distributed to fund other energy-efficiency projects.

Basics REMP programs operate under municipalities and counties that have adopted an efficient building code. Included in the code is a section mandating that new buildings—or additions onto existing buildings—must meet certain efficiency requirements. If buildings do not meet that code, they must then mitigate their energy use. Options for mitigation are to install on-site renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaics, solar hot water, a geothermal heat pump, microhydro, or small scale wind power, or to pay into a REMP fund. An appointed nonprofit or other organization stewards the REMP fund and applies it to financing other local energy efficiency projects.

Commercial REMP As of January 2010, Aspen and Pitkin County's REMP program now applies to new commercial developments as well as residential construction.

History

Aspen, Colorado The first REMP program was established in 2000 by the City of Aspen and Pitkin County, Colorado, U.S.A. In January 2000, the Pitkin County Commissioners and Aspen City Council approved the REMP. The program assesses fees on new homes that exceed the energy budget established by the Aspen/Pitkin Energy Code. REMP fees are collected by the Community Development Department when building permits are issued. The money is held by the City of Aspen's Finance Department until the Board of County Commissioners and City Council approve a REMP spending proposal. These proposals are developed by the Community Office of Resource Efficiency (CORE), a local nonprofit organization. CORE's board of directors includes representatives from throughout the county, from the local utilities, and the local transportation authority. As of 2009, Aspen/Pitkin REMP and CORE have generated over six million dollars to distribute through energy-efficiency grants and rebates. Generally, in Aspen, houses that exceed 5,000 square feet (460 m2) must pay $5,000 or install on-site renewables, and houses over 10,000 square feet (930 m2) must pay $10,000 or install on-site renewables. Also, in Aspen, outdoor energy consuming devices are very common. The majority of REMP funding comes from heated snowmelt driveways.

Replications The REMP model is very replicable and has been applied to a number of locales: Snowmass Village, Basalt, Colorado, Carbondale, Colorado, Eagle County, Colorado, and Martha's Vineyard.

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard enacted their own energy-efficient building code, VineyardBuild, modeled after Aspen's and Carbondale's.

Eagle County, Colorado Eagle County's new energy-efficient building code, ECOBuild is another points-based code checklist, requiring homeowners to build within a certain energy budget.

References

External links Community Office for Resource Efficiency The Renewable Energy Mitigation Program Aspen/Pitkin Energy Conservation Code, Chapter 3 "Aspen Eyes Building Code Changes." The Aspen Times. November 22, 1999. "Local Energy Program Brings in Big Money." The Aspen Times. November 10, 2000.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with REMP

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what REMP claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to REMP before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about REMP ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of REMP

In research: REMP appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses REMP in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: REMP is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Renewable energy in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for REMP outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study REMP in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what REMP means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain REMP out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is REMP in simple terms?

REMP, or Renewable Energy Mitigation Program, is a model of promoting renewable energy through local government building codes that was launched in Colorado in 2000. Overview REMP is a system that encourages the installation of renewable energy systems in partnership with local government agencies.

Why does REMP matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study REMP?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on REMP.