Why LEDs have a key role in the horticulture revolution Lux, July 11, 2016 Since the discovery was made that the spectrum of light offered to plants can change plant properties (for example, blossom and fruit growth rates), there has been an enormous increase in the interest shown by the horticultural industry in LEDs. This … Read more
Max Ma, ERS, for Zondits In the utility M&V and evaluation world, persistence is generally defined as the change in expected savings relative to the baseline.[note]ERS, “Measure Life Study Prepared for Massachusetts Joint Utilities,” 2005[/note] Persistence is the little brother to the end-of–useful-life (EUL) metric. Frequently, persistence factors are built into the deemed values of … Read more
Enhancing IAQ and Energy Efficiency with Living Walls Sourceable, July 14, 2016 In addition to enhancing the aesthetic appeal and natural atmosphere of building interiors, large-scale indoor plant installations can also improve living conditions for human occupants while raising the energy efficiency of facilities themselves. The enhanced air cleansing achieved by living walls can in … Read more
SCHNEIDER INTRODUCES A SELF-LEARNING THERMOSTAT Builder Online, July 14, 2016 A new thermostat from Schneider Electric “learns” homeowners preferences for heating and cooling and adjusts accordingly. The Eco IQ feature of the company’s Wiser Air Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat takes the guesswork out of determining what temperature is optimal for users by quickly learning from homeowner feedback how … Read more
NORTHSHORE MANAGEMENT ACQUIRES MAJORITY OWNERSHIP IN FIVEWORX Fiveworx, July 12, 2016 Fiveworx announced today that Knoxville-based Northshore Management Company has acquired majority ownership in Fiveworx. As part of the transaction, Fiveworx management and founders will maintain an equity position in the company. The transaction will allow the company to accelerate development of its persona-based email … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits The State House in Boston has been working through numerous energy proposals this spring and summer, and the impacts will soon be felt across Massachusetts. [mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”20″ bg_color=”#81d742″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]The Governor’s “pipeline tax” has been contended and debated from the streets to the state supreme court.[/mks_pullquote]Last month the House … Read more
Dangerous malware discovered in EU energy company IT News, July 15, 2016 A new piece of sophisticated malware has been discovered on the networks of an unnamed European energy company with what researchers believe is the potential to shut down an energy grid. [mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”20″ bg_color=”#c4a319″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]Stephen Gates, chief research intelligence analyst at … Read more
Conversion efficiency of 18.2 percent achieved using perovskite solar cells Phys, July 13, 2016 A research group led by Liyuan Han, a leader of the Photovoltaic Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), achieved energy conversion efficiency exceeding 18% using standard size (1 cm2) perovskite solar cells for the first time in the world. … Read more
USDA to Help 821 Rural Small Businesses Boost Renewable Energy Use, Save on Energy Costs USDA, July 11, 2016 [bctt tweet=”USDA is providing $43.2 million in loan guarantees and $11.6 million in grants through REAP.” username=”ZonditsEE”] [mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”18″ bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#ffffff”]Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced funding for 821 projects across the nation that … Read more
A Zondits Rundown: AES Corporation to Power an Electricity Evolution in Los Angeles By 2021 the Los Angeles “peaker,” a natural gas-burning power plant in Long Beach, will be replaced by the world’s largest storage battery, capable of holding and delivering over 100 megawatts of power an hour for four hours. For reference, the output of 100 … Read more