In September 2011, former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra challenged the utility industry to make energy data more available to their customers, using one standard all providers could agree upon. A standard has been developed and is called Green Button. It provides millions of utility customers with easy access to a downloadable copy…
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Who said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself?
Franklin D. Roosevelt said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” in his inaugural address on March 4, 1933. Despite that these words were spoken prior to my birth, I am connected to them. You are connected to them. For those of you that read this website, you are looking for something. You…
How Net metering policies impact you
Net metering is the name of state and local policies that allow consumers to sell power back to the grid. For communities that are considering generating power on site, knowing the local regulations on net metering might make a big impact on your ROI. For more info, see: Policies for compensating behind-the-meter generation vary by…
Eight Green Credentials you should know about
When you hear the topic of green certification for buildings, LEED is typically one the first things to come to mind. But the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is not the only legitimate option. The City of San Francisco recently began recording sustainability labels of buildings in their official…
Emerging green tech: a new form of water power
In prior articles, I discussed multiple ways how water has been used to generate electricity. But now that most large-scale hydro electric power that can be built already has been built, are there any other ways we might be able to generate electricity from water? Why, yes. Enter: Hydro-kinetic power. For more info, see: Regulators…
Water and electricity do mix after all
When we were growing up, we were told that water and electricity are a deadly combination. But under the right circumstances, they can work together for great benefit to society and the planet. Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Hydroelectric power is the use of falling water to turn a propeller-like piece called a turbine,…
Blame it on the Groundhog
Spring should be well underway in the United States according to forecasts made on Groundhog Day by famed weatherman Punxsutawney Phil. But instead many parts of the US have been experiencing cold snaps and even snow this week. As a result, an Ohio prosecutor tired of a prolonged winter has indicted Punxsutawney Phil for fraud. This lingering winter…
The Butterfly Effect
I believe that the 2011Tohoku earthquake changed our seasonality forever. I know that most folks would rather say that Climate change causes earthquakes and Tsunamis, but I think that roughly, the chicken hatched an egg that became a chicken. The 2011Tohoku earthquake had such extreme magnitude that it shifted the earth’s axis by estimates of…
Smart Grid: new technology can improve power reliability and efficiency
In prior articles, I discussed what the Smart Grid is and how it is finally getting smarter in the middle of the grid. For further developments in this area, read on below. The main impact to the multi-family housing industry is that as the electricity grid becomes more efficient with less waste, it has the…
Visit a national Energy Lab
I recently visited the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO near Denver. The US Dept of Energy has several such laboratories and research centers spread throughout the country. Most of them welcome visitors during normal business hours. For a full listing, click here and then scroll down to the “Labs & Technology Centers” section….