Study finds LED lights provide improved energy efficiency and production for growing food crops in space Phys.Org, March 24, 2016. Image credit: Philips Philips Lighting has collaborated with The University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) to test energy efficient ways to grow food that will help feed astronauts on missions to the moon, … Read more
L.J. Eldredge, ERS, for Zondits March 23, 2016. Image credit: Anton Fomkin Solid state lighting uses light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, as sources of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma (e.g., fluorescent lamps), or gas. LEDs can be found in any style of lighting fixture, be it a decorative pendant or a linear strip, and while fluorescent … Read more
Chris Zimbelman, Max Ma, and Bryan Kilgore, ERS, for Zondits March 22, 2016. Image credit: Marco d’Itri As part of the state of technology series, the refrigeration team pulled together a few different updates on some new technologies in the refrigeration world. Here are a few happenings that we thought were interesting. Magnetic Refrigeration Keeping things … Read more
Nick Collins, ERS, for Zondits March 22, 2016. Image Credit: unsplash In this article we’ll review the general purpose of building envelopes by looking at “the perfect wall.” This concept comes from Building Science Corporation (BSC) and is based on centuries of envelope system successes and failures. BSC’s perfect wall is not proprietary information; instead, it … Read more
We’ve built an entire house in a lab to dispel common energy efficiency myths EconoTimes, March 19, 2016. Image credit: University of Salford Press Office A common piece of advice is to turn your thermostat to 21°C to ensure an energy efficient and comfortable home. However, work by my colleagues and I found older thermostats can … Read more
3D Printing Enables New Generation of Heat Exchangers Energy.gov, March 17, 2016. Image credit: University of Maryland Three-dimensional printing is revolutionizing how we manufacture objects in almost every industry—from vehicles to medical devices to biotech. Now, the University of Maryland, through a partnership with 3D Systems and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, … Read more
Why utilities are using data analytics Landis + Gyr, March 1, 2016. Image credit: W.Rebel Improving network operations and planning At grid level, distribution management systems monitor circuit loading and aggregate data from a large number of intelligent devices such as smart meters, grid sensors and mobile devices being used by engineers in the field that … Read more
The power of zero: How to a real-world Net-Zero office Green Biz, March 12, 2016. Image credit: ccr-mag DPR Construction’s Phoenix Regional Headquarters creates a space that exemplifies deep sustainability in the hot dry climate, on a site that provides revitalization and adaptive reuse. The office is ILFI Net Zero Energy and LEED Platinum certified. … Read more
Richard Doughty, ERS, for Zondits. March 15, 2016. Image credit: Luke Truman Allagash Brewing Company started as a one-man operation in a small corner of a warehouse in Portland, Maine. Founder Rob Tod sold his first batch of beer in the summer of 1995. Since that time, Allagash has grown and expanded – available in … Read more
Magnetic Chips can Sharply Boost Computer Energy Efficacy I4U News, March 14, 2016. Image credit: By Alexander Wilmer Duff, via Wikimedia Commons The law of thermodynamics seems to come to a halt here and it is indeed quite a surprise. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. Great savings in case of power … Read more