Energy Efficiency is still cheaper Energy efficiency is still cheaper than building a new power plant. That's the word from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, which plans to release a report on the economics of 14 energy efficiency program administrators with particularly high energy savings. The forthcoming report finds the … [Read more...]
Robots Climb Walls to Prevent Power Plant Outages
March 16, 2016 By 1 Comment
Everyone wants to prevent power plant outages: Utility customers don't want to go without power. And power plant owners especially want to avoid outages because they're costly and often require them to resort to using replacement power based on dirty fuels. Enter the wall-climbing robots from Gecko Robotics. Magnetic adhesion technology allows … [Read more...]
Led by Building Efficiency, the Advanced Energy Market is Bigger than Beer
March 7, 2016 By 5 Comments
Building efficiency led the 8 percent growth in global advanced energy in 2015, according to a new report from the Advanced Energy Economy. "The U.S. advanced energy market hit $200 billion, nearly double the nation’s beer market, larger than pharmaceutical manufacturing, and closing in on wholesale consumer electronics," said AEE in releasing … [Read more...]
Big Energy Efficiency Gains in Tiny Rhode Island: National Grid
March 2, 2016 By 3 Comments
National Grid has seen big energy efficiency gains in tiny Rhode Island, the smallest state geographically in the U.S. In this podcast interview (click the player above), Laura Rodormer and Matthew Ray, senior strategic business analysts for National Grid, describe three programs: How customers use home energy reports A program that gets … [Read more...]
NY Utilities Seek Energy Storage and Non-Wire Alternatives
March 1, 2016 By 2 Comments
Two New York utilities are circulating solicitations for energy storage and non-wire alternatives in keeping with the state’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) policy. Consolidated Edison (ConEdison) and the New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) are acting under direction from the New York Public Service Commission. The regulatory agency is in … [Read more...]
Don't Swap Wives; Swap Energy Management Teams
February 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment
If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast (click on the player above), Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco. The program is roughly modeled after "Wife … [Read more...]
Feds, Corporate Conscience, and Youth Spur Boom in Energy Efficiency Finance
February 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The energy efficiency finance market has come into its own, and is now characterizied by more than $100 billion in annual loan originations, according to a white paper released yesterday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “Since rebounding after the Great Recession, the energy efficiency finance market has expanded both in … [Read more...]
NV Energy Wants More Efficiency, But Regulators Cut Programs
February 15, 2016 By 1 Comment
NV Energy wants more efficiency -- but regulators in Nevada are calling for less. In this interview (see player above), Tom Polikalas, Nevada representative, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, describes the battle over energy efficiency now being played out in Nevada. Last July, NV Energy said its residential lighting programs in southern … [Read more...]
Beautiful LED Lighting Displays Show that Energy Efficiency is about Aesthetics Too
February 3, 2016 By 1 Comment
Energy efficiency isn't just about saving energy; nor is it just about improving comfort. It's about aesthetics too, as evidenced by the growing number of beautiful LED lighting displays. Check out, for example, the re-lit LED lighting installation on the San Francisco Bay Bridge, designed by artist Leo Villareal with equipment from Royal … [Read more...]
