All posts published in 2017
The West’s largest coal-fired power plant is closing. The Washington Post, February 14, 2017 In the past three weeks, owners of two of the nation’s biggest coal-fired power plants have announced plans to shut them down, potentially idling hundreds of workers. One plant in Arizona is the largest coal-fired facility in the western United States. “[We’re] … Read more
Jordan Cohen, ERS, for Zondits It is now easier than ever to find out how the energy efficiency of your large NYC multifamily building compares to similar buildings. Using the Urban Green Council’s (UGC’s) Metered New York database, you can search for your building address to see its ENERGY STAR score, energy and water usage, … Read more
Bryan Kilgore, ERS, for Zondits Natural refrigerant solutions are booming in Japan. The number of transcritical CO2 systems installed in convenience stores and supermarkets has grown to over 2,400 installations – up from 190 in 2014. Japanese companies such as Panasonic, Sanden, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have developed and installed CO2 systems with outdoor condensing … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits As most of us may guess, Hawaii leads the nation in solar panels per capita. But there is still a substantial percentage of the market that cannot participate in solar programs. To increase participation, the legislature passed a law mandating utilities to create community renewables programs. However, the utilities had … Read more
Focus on Energy Efficiency Shifting from Prescription to Performance Urban Land, February 13, 2017 One simple question changed the dynamic of the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) energy efficiency contracts, says Kevin Kampschroer, GSA chief sustainability officer. The question: Is this the best you can do? “It was the best question we asked,” Kampschroer said … Read more
Elana Cole, ERS, for Zondits A trio of Democratic legislators in Massachusetts has introduced a bill to help the state reach its ambitious goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2035 and phasing out all fossil fuels from the heating and transportation sectors by 2050. The Bay State is seeking to catch up with other … Read more
Ethan Forauer, ERS, and Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits The new presidential administration is proposing sweeping changes to energy and environmental policy. During the presidential debates, the candidates did not devote much time to explaining their policy positions and ideas regarding climate change and energy. However, the stance of the new administration has been made clear … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits With the appointments from the Trump administration over the past month or so, the future for energy efficiency growth looks bleak at the federal level. Despite such uncertainty, the fact remains that many initiatives happen much closer to home, as various state and local governments take matters into their own … Read more
Data Centers: Energy Efficiency and Maintenance ASHRAE, September 13, 2016 A newly published energy standard for data centers features a performance-based approach that is more flexible and accommodating of innovative changes that rapidly occur in design, construction and operations in that industry. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 90.4-2016, Energy Standard for Data Centers, establishes the minimum energy-efficiency requirements … Read more
Tesla’s Battery Revolution Just Reached Critical Mass Bloomberg, January 30, 2017 Tesla Motors Inc. is making a huge bet that millions of small batteries can be strung together to help kick fossil fuels off the grid. The idea is a powerful one—one that’s been used to help justify the company’s $5 billion factory near Reno, Nev.—but batteries have so far only … Read more