Already a global leader in building sustainability legislation and initiatives, the European market for energy efficient building technologies is expected to grow from $83.5 billion in 2017 to $111.9 billion in 2026.
By Indradeep Ghosh, PhD Cupertino, CA About 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a direct or indirect result of extraction and burning of fossil fuels – a process that needs to stop to put the brakes on global climate change. The concept of fuel switching is simply … [continued]
With the local tourist season ending this Labor Day, it’s time for a look at how renewables can benefit island tourism, which stays open year-round. Island policy makers, private sector investors, international financial institutions, renewable energy companies, power utilities, operators of hotel chains, and tourism businesses all have something to gain … [continued]
1Sun4All. Matthew O’Kelly participated twice in the Solar Decathlon—first as the HVAC engineer for The Ohio State University (OSU) 2009 team and then as the project engineer for the OSU 2011 team, according to Carol Laurie for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Since then, O’Kelly has not only established a successful design career but … [continued]
Originally published on Green Building Elements I have been using a solar thermal water heater for nearly two years, and am now ready to share my experience with it. First: solar thermal water heaters (often just called solar water heaters) operate by absorbing sunlight into insulated (by vacuum) glass tubes … [continued]
Originally published on the Hal Slater website. Solar thermal water heating is a temperamental thing. Water weighs a lot, it expands when it freezes, and it can cause scaling damage to pipes when it boils. Solar thermal systems are wonderfully efficient, and some systems work just fine for decades, but … [continued]
The California Public Utilities Commission has approved the largest energy efficiency program in U.S. history, authorizing $3.1 billion in consumer rebates and efficiency programs over the next three years. This brings the state a giant step closer to implementing AB32, according to Lara Ettenson, director of California Energy Efficiency Policy at the NRDC.
Ettenson told me that the funding comes from the part of the budget that California’s regulated utilities may use to invest in conventional electricity. This may include “negawatts” or energy efficiency measures, which is cheaper than building new plants and transmission.
