The Smart Home Takes Center Stage at CES 2016

smart home CES 2016

Cameron Kinney for Zondits, January 14, 2016. Image credit: Chris Potter Last week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, some 3,600 companies descended upon the desert city to unveil and behold the latest and greatest in consumer electronics technology with hopes of finding the next big thing. While drones, electric cars, and virtual reality headsets were … Read more

Switch SUPERSNAP is Powered by 100% Renewable Energy

switch supersnap

Switch says all data centers, clients on green power Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 5, 2016. Image credit: The Networking Nerd The data storage company Switch has announced that as of Jan. 1, all of its SUPERNAP data centers and its more than 1,000 clients who are co-located at their facilities were powered by 100 percent … Read more

Lighting and Indoor Agriculture

indoor agriculture

Todd Winner for Zondits. January 12, 2016. Image credit: fotobias The retail marijuana market is booming. Among the 23 states that have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, as well as the 4 states (and Washington D.C.) that have legalized cannabis for recreational use, the demand is rising. And with other states currently looking to legalize … Read more

Ecovent’s Automation Suite Tells Homeowners Where to Save Energy

Ecovent

CES 2016: Want Your Home to Tell You Where It Can Be More Energy Efficient? PSFK, January 4, 2016. Image credit: Ecovent In 2015, Ecovent won the CES Home Automation Product of Year for its intelligent home zoning system, giving homeowners room-by-room temperature control. This year, HVAC and Automation company will be providing an early … Read more

Managing Plug Loads in Commercial Buildings

plug loads

Will Plug Loads Be the Next Frontier in Energy Efficiency? Energy Manager Today, January 6, 2016. Image credit: Keoni Cabral The first vital statistic is how much energy is being wasted. At Buildings.com, Enlighted Vice President of Business Development Zach Gentry posted the results of a survey of 11 buildings it conducted in San Francisco. The … Read more

The Worldbeing Wristband Could Revolutionize Carbon Tracking

Amanda Gassé for Zondits, January 11, 2015. Image credit: Layer Design Wearable technology has taken a big step into 2016 by integrating the Internet of Things with each individual’s environmental consciousness. London designer Benjamin Hubert partnered with Carbon Trust to produce Worldbeing, a Fitbit-like wearable that can track an individual’s carbon footprint. While Worldbeing is … Read more

Appliance Standards Promote Innovation & Yield Energy Savings

PG&E Marketplace appliance standards kitchen

Your kitchen is a battleground in Obama energy efficiency push Chicago Tribune, January 9, 2016. Image credit: Mikhail Golub No, literally. Since 2009, his administration has created 43 rules that will deliver the biggest energy savings of any president in history, eliminating demand in 2030 equal to the electricity produced by 96 power plants, based on … Read more

USDA Invests $46 Million in Vermont’s Efficiency Programs

USDA Awards $46 Million to Boost Energy Efficiency in Vermont USDA, January 8, 2016. Image credit: Doug Kerr Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded $46 million in assistance to the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) to support energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in rural areas across the state. USDA awarded VEIC $46 million in assistance … Read more

Zero Energy Buildings Definitions Slowly March Forward

zero energy buildings passive design

Ryan Pollin for Zondits, January 10, 2015. Image credit: hansbrinker The Department of Energy (DOE), which is generally the last word on such things, has released a common definition for zero energy buildings (ZEBs). Let’s have a look and break it down: An energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy … Read more

Regulatory Issues Hamper Clean Energy in Nevada

clean energy

Gita Subramony for Zondits, January 6, 2016. Image credit: tpsdave Last week Marketplace reported on how solar customers in Nevada might end up paying more on their utility bills even though they use less energy from the grid. What’s going on here? Abundant sunshine in the Silver State created high demand for solar arrays. However, the … Read more