The Carbon Footprint of Imbibing and Smoking Pot in an Infographic Amanda Gassé, ERS, for Zondits. April 18, 2016. Image credit: beeki The world is increasingly looking at businesses, individuals, and their activities through a carbon lens. Talk of reducing our energy imprint is usually focused on the home we heat, the car we drive, or the … Read more
Gita Subramony, April 13, 2016. Image credit: Chris Young The current Habitat Magazine features a profile of a recent cogeneration, or combined heat and power (CHP), project in Queens. The Roosevelt Terrace co-op in the Jackson Heights section planned a multi-phase CHP project that includes two 75 kW systems that have already been installed and another … Read more
LA Will Face Blackouts This Summer Due to Its Gigantic Natural Gas Leak Gizmodo, April 5. 2016. Image credit: tpsdave A coalition of agencies including the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, California Independent System Operator, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power just released a report on how the Aliso Canyon leak is … Read more
Energy-efficiency loans could cause homeowner headaches Ventura County Star, April 9, 2016. Image credit: Zauberin A new government-sponsored program enables homeowners to reduce utility bills and help save the environment. It sounds great, but there are several things you should consider before signing up. Fortunately, alternative programs are available that pose less risk to homeowners. The … Read more
Jesse Remillard, ERS, for Zondits. April 5, 2016. Image credit: ColiN00B Zondits spoke with Michael Hopkins, the CEO of Ice Energy, a Santa Barbara energy storage company which makes smart ice batteries called Ice Bears. These specially designed storage systems are equipped with a reservoir for storing thermal energy in the form of ice, which is … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits April 4, 2016. Image credit: Ben_Kerckx The deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) has begun, albeit slowly. EV sales are barely past the 1% of market share milestone, and 40% of those vehicles have been sold in California – progress elsewhere is even slower. But there is reason to be positive, because … Read more
Compressed air sustained pumped hydraulic storage Intelligent Utility, March 15, 2016. Image credit: gr8effect The development of deep water compressed air energy storage (DW CAES) involves placing weight ballasted inflatable bags on the seafloor or submerged on a lake bed, with an air pipe connecting between ground level and submerged bags. It is a variation of … Read more
How to determine if energy efficiency upgrades are right for your home (and budget) Inhabitat, April 1, 2016. Image credit: AllanW So how do home performance upgrades pay off? From 2010 to 2013, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program upgraded nearly 120,000 homes and buildings achieved total verified energy savings for the 3-year evaluation period provided of … Read more
Washington, DC Tops EPA’s List of Cities with the Most Energy Star Certified Buildings/Energy efficiency leads to a stronger economy and healthier environment EPA, March 30, 2016. Image credit: patticake1601 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its eighth-annual “Top Cities” list, which ranks the 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified … Read more
Gas-to-electricity plant debuts at Irvine’s Bowerman Landfill LA Times, March 30, 2016. Image credit: Alexas_Fotos The proverbial link between trash and treasure has evolved into a symbiotic relationship between energy and efficiency with the coming of a renewable-energy power plant to Irvine’s Bowerman Landfill. [bctt tweet=”The Bowerman Power Project is capturing methane gas from trash and … Read more