All posts published in 2016
US agency reaches ‘holy grail’ of battery storage sought by Elon Musk and Gates The Guardian, March 3, 2016. Image credit: A US government agency says it has attained the “holy grail” of energy – the next-generation system of battery storage, that has has been hotly pursued by the likes of Bill Gates and Elon … Read more
California’s Revolution in Western Energy Markets T&D World, March 9, 2016. Image credit: blickpixel The Energy Times’ recently talked with BPA Administrator Elliot Mainzer on the regional impact of bold new renewables and storage initiatives in California ahead of the landmark California Renewables Rush conference in San Francisco April 6 supported by virtually all major utilities … Read more
MIT researchers create citywide building energy model for Boston MIT News, February 22, 2016. Image credit: Tafyrn The City of Boston now has a powerful new tool for planning its energy future, thanks to pioneering work done by researchers at the MIT Sustainable Design Lab (SDL) and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, in collaboration with the Boston … Read more
Canadian energy efficiency standards to follow U.S. lead ECEEE, March 4, 2016. Image credit: Photoshot Updated energy performance targets for a range of commercial and residential equipment and lighting products will be the first regulatory amendments since Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed an agreement aimed at harmonizing the two counties’ energy … Read more
Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits March 9, 2016. Image credit: geralt The Mass Net Zero Data Center (MassNZ) is an experiment in Holyoke, Massachusetts, which is a testing center for using renewable energy for data center applications. Not surprisingly, the key is storage, and MassNZ uses heavy flywheels as part of a distributed energy storage demonstration … Read more
Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits March 9, 2016. Image credit: epicantus The BUILD UPON project supports European government, industry, and civil society in delivering plans to renovate each European Union nation’s existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency, as required by law by April 2017. It will bring more than 1,000 organizations through 80 events that … Read more
Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits March 9, 2016 Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are developing a paint-on coating that can easily be applied to windows to improve their performance. It will reflect the infrared solar energy back to the sky while allowing visible light to pass through, making it especially appropriate for … Read more
Bill would cut funding for Wisconsin energy efficiency program Midwest Energy News, March 4, 2016. Image credit: Hans Wisconsin’s ratepayer-supported energy efficiency program could see a reduction in funding under a pending proposal in the state legislature. The bill, AB804, would cut about $7 million a year from the state’s Focus on Energy program. It was … Read more
Dip in Energy Prices Plus Energy Efficiency = Savings Hudson Valley News Network, March 8, 2016. Image credit: Unsplash According to a news release from Con Edison, all New Yorkers got the benefit of declining energy prices in 2015, but 28,300 Con Edison customers found an additional way to save money: they got rebates from the … Read more
Africa: Women Are Central to Africa’s Energy Transformation All Africa, March 8, 2016. Image credit: Peggy_Marco It is time to recognize that modernizing household energy is central to Africa’s development – and that means bringing women to the table. Women and girls collect most of the firewood, spending an average of 2.1 hours per day on … Read more