Allison Donnelly, ERS, for Zondits. May 3, 2016. Image credit: Marc van der Chijs Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by former Obama energy advisor Jason Bordoff entitled, “How Driverless Cars Could End up Harming the Environment.” Among the host of benefits being touted by proponents, one that has been getting increasing … Read more
A Lightbulb Moment: How Energy Efficiency Builds Business Business Aspects Magazine, April 28, 2016 Plenty of businesses are approaching energy efficiency as a business growth opportunity, seeking to increase their competitiveness, grow their customer base and capitalise on new markets, both at home and abroad. Energy saving is not just about reducing bills, but rather … Read more
Bryan Kilgore, ERS, for Zondits. April 27, 2016. Image credit: PixelAnarchy R-1233zd is a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant that could replace R-123 in low-temperature chiller applications. R-1233zd, originally created as a foam propellant or blowing agent, has environmental benefits with a global warming potential (GWP) between 1 and 6, and ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.00024 to … Read more
A Close-up Look at Industrial Refrigeration ACHR News, April 11, 2016. Image credit: www.emsd.gov.hk The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) 2016 Industrial Refrigeration Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, treated 1,500 attendees to four days of technical information, workshops, panels, and forums covering the past, present, and future of refrigeration. A total of 148 exhibitors … Read more
Pouring Saltwater Over Graphene Produces Electricity Gizmodo, April 15, 2014 A team of Chinese scientists did an impossible-sounding thing. They created electricity simply by dragging a droplet of saltwater across a layer of graphene. No big fires, no greenhouse gases, no fuss. They created energy with just a miracle material and one of the most plentiful … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits. April 27, 2016. Image credit: Foundry Energy storage is getting simpler, and Advanced Rail Energy Storage (ARES) is well on the way to its first full-scale deployment. The most basic energy storage system thus far is probably pumped hydro storage: push water uphill to “charge the battery,” and let it flow … Read more
Sizing matters: How to avoid oversizing or undersizing your compressed air system Plant Services, April 7, 2016. Image credit: blickpixel Common downfalls of undersized and oversized compressors The most common issue resulting from under-sizing compressors is insufficient airflow to production equipment. Workers may complain that their tools aren’t working properly, or that low-pressure alarms may be … Read more
What utilities expect from the Internet of Things Intelligent Utility, April 21, 2016. Image credit: geralt For utilities, the smart grid era unleashed not only millions of these new IoT devices, but also more data that utilities need to analyze and understand to make better decisions about their networks. In fact, 63 percent of utility respondents … Read more
GE’s Current Acquires Daintree Networks to Expand Building Automation Platform LED Inside, April 25, 2016. Image credit: geralt Today Current, powered by GE (NYSE: GE), announced the acquisition of Daintree Networks, an Industrial Internet provider of building controls solutions for commercial facilities. This acquisition will enable Current to expand its building automation platform and its energy-as-a-service … Read more
Frank Arena, ERS, for Zondits. April 20, 2016. Image credit: RichardLey Building automation technology has come a long way over the years, thanks to advances in communication, which have helped to drive the development of electronic control technologies. These advances have made what was once a sketchy and maintenance-heavy control scheme into one that is powerful … Read more