Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits The discussion on distributed and clean energy often focuses on societies or groups of people who have access to electricity but are hoping for cleaner alternatives. But what about the 1.2 billion people in the world who do not have reliable or consistent access to electricity? How do we address … Read more
Amanda Gassé, ERS, for Zondits There is an extremely powerful dynamic that has shifted the commercial and cultural relationships in our economy. Technology has, and continues to, enable trust between strangers and is changing the way consumers do business, both locally and globally. By engaging in collaborative consumption in marketplaces, like Airbnb and Etsy, we are … Read more
Jeff Perkins, ERS, for Zondits Energy efficiency has been an evolutionary and incremental effort: evolutionary in how and why we do it, and incremental in terms of the technology and the economics to achieve it, as the state-of-the-art has continuously advanced over the years. In this article I am going to take a step back … Read more
Tom Riggi, ERS, for Zondits Partly in response to an increase in student interest and awareness, Binghamton University is aiming to provide custom education and training to aid students seeking a career in sustainability. Starting this fall, BU has extended their Environmental Studies Program to include a master’s program in Sustainable Communities, where students can … Read more
Progress on Commercial Building Energy Efficiency has been Good, but More Attention is Needed to Decrease Waste in Several Areas The Energy Collective, July 4, 2016 Data recently released as part of the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) highlights changes in commercial sector energy demand between 2003 and 2012. The Energy Information Administration conducts CBECS approximately … Read more
California is about to find out what a truly radical climate policy looks like Vox, September 9, 2016 Within the United States, California is No. 1 (by far) in solar power and No. 3 in wind power. It boasts the third-lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita behind New York and Vermont. Since 2000, the state has managed to shrink its overall carbon footprint slightly … Read more
Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits As with any nonrenewable resource, there are limits to efficiency as a resource. Steven Nadel’s recent paper explores the potential for energy efficiency to provide consistent, sustained savings. The good news is that a 1% load reduction appears to be feasible to at least 2030 – and potentially 2050 – … Read more
2016’s Most & Least Energy-Expensive States Wallethub In the U.S., energy costs eat between 5 and 22 percent of families’ total after-tax income, with the poorest Americans, or 25 million households, paying the highest of that range. And lower energy prices don’t necessarily equate to savings. Where we live and how much energy we use make up … Read more
Oil Prices Down, Investment Down, Supply Up, Energy Efficiency Down Clean Technica, July 8, 2016 The International Energy Agency (IEA) published an updated analysis of the current oil price environment this week, detailing how the current market is generally misbehaving. Though some might look at the decreased investment as a good thing, the resulting increase … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits All right, folks: Elon Musk of Tesla Motors has let us in on the big ideas once again. Most blog posts don’t tend to cause this much stir, but seeing how 10 years later his first one turned out to be true nearly line for line, it might be worth … Read more