Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 2/29/2024 Image: The Edwards & Sanborn solar and storage project in Kern County, California. (Mortenson) The new California facility makes grid-scale solar energy available even when the sun doesn’t shine. Two million solar PV panels and over 120,000 batteries have come online on a combination of public and private land in … Read more
Christopher Dyson, Zondits guest, 1/16/2024 Fans not embedded in HVAC equipment—”stand-alone” fans—are used in many industrial, commercial, and agricultural applications (such as exhaust, ventilation, and manufacturing processes). The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that installed fans in the industrial sector alone consume about 79 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, which amounts to about 11% of all … Read more
Nathan Phillips and Connor Barrett, Zondits guests, 1/3/2024 There is a first time for everything and spending Halloween with utility analytics professionals on the Universal Studios campus was just such a first. Utility Analytics Institute’s Utility Analytics Week 2023 was set against the backdrop of a towering rendition of Hogwarts, fueled not by magic but … Read more
Peter F. Hoffman, C.E.M., LEED AP, Zondits guest, 10/17/2023 This article is excerpted and edited from a version that is posted on LinkedIn. Volunteering is a tool that can provide mental and physical health benefits, as well as a sense of purpose and a way to nurture new relationships. With the growing threats of climate … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 9/5/2023 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $11 million dollars in research grant awards to 11 education and research entities. The funding is to be used for researching the financial and environmental impacts of the transition away from fossil fuels in Tribal and other underserved communities. The funding comes at … Read more
Nunzio Peleggi, Zondits guest, 8/1/2023 Star Date 2023: The need to hyper speed or warp speed, or the deployment of clean power and grid infrastructure. If you’re a Star Trek fan, then it’s Warp speed, if you’re a Star Wars fan, then it’s hyper speed. Both allow you to travel faster than the speed of … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 5/16/2023 British Petroleum (BP) is making record profits, but its shareholders are not necessarily pleased. The energy giant, which has long promoted itself as a defender of the environment, has recently pulled back their level of commitment to reducing emissions. BP’s annual general meeting was held the last week in April, … Read more
Karys Arisohn, Zondits staff, 4/28/2023 New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinctive music, Creole cuisine, unique dialects, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The National AESP Conference was celebrated a week after Fat Tuesday, Feb. 27- March 2 at the Marriott on Canal Street in the historic heart of the city, a … Read more
Jeremy McDonald, Zondits guest, 4/17/2023 Since the onset of the pandemic, we in the HVAC industry have wrestled with far-reaching improvements to our HVAC systems. Increasing ventilation air exchange, implementing air cleaning devices, and related investments are all important strategies to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and protect building occupants. However, recognizing that IAQ issues are … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/1/2023 Gasoline and diesel retailer Finite Fuels, LTD has introduced a gasoline gift card that can be purchased with renewable energy credits. The card, which is available in $25 and $50 denominations, can be used at thousands of gasoline stations that sell Finite Fuels’ generic brand products. Francis Fable, the CEO … Read more