Here is an interesting article from the US Dept of Energy that is targeted at single family home owners, but much of it applies to multi-family housing as well: “You can read your own meters to help monitor your electric or gas energy use. During the heating season, your energy use should be compared to…
Blog
How to Run the Best Energy Management Program EMP
Rate and Tariff review is an important part of any EMP. Believe it or not utilities companies all make mistakes. Some are small and no one ever really notices them like the billing dates overlap by a day to two that would just mean a small overpayment depending on the type of utility being paid….
Wow! Check out West Village
Although I indicated that I would discuss the characteristics of my Icon buildings this entry, I am going to switch gears and talk about an existing project that I just had the great fortune to tour last week. West Village, in Davis California, is the largest NZE Multifamily project in the Nation. It has over…
Off The Grid: Understanding Ohio’s Recent Electric Regulations
I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of the free market system. If a company has a good product and efficient operations, people purchase from them and they make money. That’s an overs simplification, of course, but you get the point. That being said, I’m not a fan of any industry that tries…
Top 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Inventor Nikola Tesla
Expand your energy knowledge through the US Dept of Energy’s series highlighting “Top Things You Didn’t Know.” Coming in at the top of the list for Nikola Tesla: “On Energy.gov, we’re revisiting the storied rivalry between two of history’s most important energy-related inventors and engineers: Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla….” Read More
The Future of Nuclear Power is Still Up for Grabs
You might not want to believe this but nuclear power is the United State’s largest source of clean carbon-free electricity. That’s why the nuclear industry was upset that the Supreme Court stayed the Clean Power Plan. They felt that nuclear power was going to be a larger part of the solution based on the carbon…
Top 6 Things You Didn’t Know About Solar Energy
Expand your energy knowledge through the US Dept of Energy’s series highlighting “Top Things You Didn’t Know.” Coming in at Number Six on the list for Solar Energy: “Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth – 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously….” Read More
Presenting our Two Sites for the Conversion to Net Zero
I am pleased to introduce my two buildings for our “Conversion to Net Zero” experience: Icon at Park and Icon at Doyle in Emeryville California. I chose these two sites for a few key reasons: These sites represent two different construction types: Icon at Doyle is 3-story construction with 27 townhome-style dwellings and an underground…
What is an Urban heat island?
As summer approaches, here’s a concept that impacts energy spent on cooling buildings. Have you heard of urban heat islands? I found a link to an intro on what they are and what can be done to mitigate them. This could be an important consideration if you have communities in the city center, especially if you…
Let’s explore Net Zero together
Hi. I’m Mary Nitschke. Let’s explore Net Zero together. I am honored and excited to explore converting two apartment buildings into Net Zero Energy Buildings. I feel incredibly lucky to get to do this. Most people don’t get the opportunity to take a building off the grid, let alone two. And I am fortunate enough…