PACE Financing Begins to Take Off in Michigan

finance-key Michigan

Making energy efficiency projects pay off, right away Michigan Radio, January 5, 2017 The U.S. EPA estimates that companies in Michigan waste up to a third of the energy they buy because of inefficient buildings and equipment. But most of the companies just keep paying those high energy bills, month after month, because they can’t … Read more

A Zondits Interview: The Role of Energy Efficiency at Silicon Valley Power

Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits Zondits spoke with Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Silicon Valley Power’s (SVP’s) Public Benefits Program Manager, about what role energy efficiency plays in SVP’s operations. Mary has been in this role for 9 years and had been with the utility for almost 22 years. As Public Benefits Program Manager, she is responsible … Read more

Has Commercial Energy Storage Reached the Tipping Point?

Jesse Remillard, ERS, for Zondits There are strong signs that commercial, or behind-the-meter, energy storage has turned a corner in regards technical maturity, commercial value, and ultimately, financial credibility. A report issued by Sandia National Laboratories in August says that many sources believe that the commercial energy storage market is currently at the “tipping point,” … Read more

New England’s Largest Battery Project Aids Grid Stabilization

electrification

Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits New England’s largest state is also home to its largest battery storage project, which began operation in December 2016 at the Wyman Energy Center in Yarmouth, Maine. This supersized battery, which consists of eight individual battery units (each the size of a freight container), holds a total of 1,300 lithium … Read more

Brooklyn Apartment Complex Combines PV, Fuel Cells, and Storage for Microgrid

BQDM energy exchange Marcus Garvey Apartmets

Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits Marcus Garvey Apartments in Brooklyn will soon be the site of a hybrid distributed energy system. The housing complex developed and owned by L+M Development Partners will receive a project loan from the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC) to add fuel cells and storage to the existing PV … Read more

Harvard Achieves Science-Based Climate Goal

Curbing carbon on campus Harvard Gazette, December 8, 2016 The wells that plunge 1,500 feet under Radcliffe Yard are out of sight to those walking over them. But to the facilities team there, they are well known as indispensable tools in the University’s fight against climate change. First installed a decade ago when the technology … Read more

Trimming Your Energy Bills and Keeping the Cold Outside

Green Tips for Staying Warm, Comfy and Energy-Efficient Noozhawk, December 7, 2016 With all of the feasts, decorations, travel and gifts to be wrapped, no one wants to be surprised by a large utility bill this holiday season. But, you don’t have to be a Scrooge to save at this time of year. The county-operated emPower home energy … Read more

Energy Investments Get Results

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Clean Energy Investments Pay Off Big Time, New Study Shows NRDC, November 15, 2016 Some have contended that driving down climate-altering carbon pollution inevitably means hefty cost penalties for utility customers, as renewable energy and energy efficiency replace fossil-fueled power plants (many on the verge of extreme old age), but my former NRDC colleague Sierra … Read more

Quidnet Energy’s Plans to Store Energy Underground

A Texas startup’s big energy idea: storing electricity underground The Guardian, August 25, 2016 In a field in Central Texas, Aaron Mandell and his crew are running pumping equipment to bring a former oil and gas well back to life. But they’re not trying to extract black gold. Instead, they are developing a way to … Read more

Curated Content: Changing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Jeff Perkins, ERS, for Zondits Zondits started with a “soft launch” 3 years ago this month. We chose a soft launch, putting the site up in hidden mode but populating it on a daily basis, to give ourselves time to test the concept. We chose a curated portal rather than a blog for two reasons: … Read more