US cities, states and companies vow to honour Paris climate accord, even if Trump doesn’t New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that his municipality would “take matters into our own hands, calling the threat to pull out of the historic climate accord “a dagger aimed at the heart of New York City.” … Read more
How to Improve Your Hotel’s Energy Efficiency and Save Costs The past several decades have seen an increased focus on the importance of sustainability and green practices by hoteliers worldwide. Today, sustainability issue has permeated nearly every aspect of the hospitality industry and has become a business imperative. Having said that, going green doesn’t mean … Read more
New York Public Service Commission scraps net metering and approves new rates structure to value DER PV Tech, March 10, 2017 The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a new rate structure for distributed energy resources (DER) that is set to more accurately value and compensate for solar, while also boosting energy storage … Read more
Utilities Should Sell Customer Electricity Data Lexington Institute, April 25, 2017 Digital technology is deployed on the electric grid to make it “smarter,” allowing two-way communication and the transferring of data. This enables customers to manage electricity costs and make the grid more reliable. Since new data is collected from sensors on the grid, sharing … Read more
US State Attorneys To Sue Trump Administration Over Energy Efficiency Standards Clean Technica, April 5, 2017 US State Attorneys led by New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman have filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for illegally blocking energy efficiency standards that the claimants believe not only cut costs but cut pollution levels as … Read more
Question: How Do You Build Successful Customer Engagement for Efficiency or Distributed Energy Programs? Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits Answer: Energy efficiency and distributed energy incentive programs, along with technical assistance programs, have not only been driving forces for utility resource acquisition, but have also helped transform the market for efficient equipment, emerging technologies, and distributed … Read more
Question: What energy efficiency measures often have the shortest payback, including potential rebates? Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits Answer: Here are a few measures with quick paybacks from projects recently crossing our desks: Compressed air setpoint – Frequently we find that the pressure in compressed air systems is set much higher than necessary. While extensive … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits For the past few years Ohio’s energy future has been in the balance. Backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the fossil fuel industry, Ohio legislators introduced bills in 2014 that would freeze renewable and energy efficiency standards in the state for two years while lawmakers studied the … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits This week, President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by signing an executive order instructing the EPA to reverse the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). The Trump administration believes that the CPP, which aimed to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, negatively impacts the growth of the coal industry. However, … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits The Energy Star program was launched by the EPA and DOE in 1992 to promote energy-efficient household appliances, lighting, heating systems, air conditioners, and other such items. The program is completely voluntary, and both manufacturers and consumers enjoy the benefits. By setting an international standard for energy-efficiency, this program has … Read more