These smart cities are building infrastructures for the 23rd century Digital Trends, January 1, 2017 Currently more than 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. The United Nations projects this number will increase to 66 percent by 2050. As our cities become more populated, an increasingly uneven strain is placed on the overall infrastructure. To combat … Read more
Building from the ground up: Aquatherm North America’s new home Contractor, December 8, 2016 Lindon, UT As polypropylene-random (PP-R) pipe systems continue to revolutionize the piping industry, Aquatherm North America, the U.S. subsidiary of leading PP-R pipe manufacturer Aquatherm Worldwide, is keeping pace by preparing to move into a new headquarters and fabrication facility in … Read more
Ask the Expert: What’s the difference between “net-zero” and “carbon-neutral” in relation to buildings and efficiency? Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits There are many different but nearly synonymous terms for buildings, campuses, and communities going in the general direction of net zero. Per the Department of Energy, the best term is a zero energy building (ZEB). This is … Read more
DOE Funds Projects to Develop Electric Motor Innovations ACHR News, December 8, 2016 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $25 million for 13 projects aimed at advancing technologies for energy-efficient electric motors through applied research and development. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Next Generation Electric Machines projects will address the … Read more
Energy Efficiency Through Plug Load Control: Not Exciting…But Effective Energy Manager Today, July 6, 2016 A July feature at Automated Buildings put the topic in context. The piece, written by Alerton’s Kevin Callahan and Kevin Clinger, pointed to two reasons that plug loads should be paid attention to. Ensuring continuity of operations is one. The other, … Read more
Niagara Falls unveils spectacular LED lighting upgrade Lux, December 14, 2016 The Niagara Falls Illumination Board has unveiled a new LED-based dynamic lighting system that makes the famed falls even more spectacular at night. The twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and Niagara Falls, New York collaborated on the $4 million solid-state lighting (SSL) … Read more
Meet the streetlights that are powered by footsteps Lux, November 30, 2016 A new street lighting system that harnesses energy from pedestrians’ footsteps has been installed in Las Vegas in the United States. The foot-powered fixtures were developed by EngoPlanet, a New York based start-up. The street lights are part-powered by kinetic energy generated by … Read more
LEDs Cut New York’s Christmas-Light Energy Needs by 35% Greentech Media, December 14, 2016 New York’s grid operator reported on Monday that holiday-light energy use has declined by about one-third from 2010, largely due to the switch to LEDs. This year, holiday lighting will add about 750 megawatts of load, down from about 1,150 megawatts in 2010. … Read more
Jeff Perkins, ERS, for Zondits ACEEE held their third Intelligent Efficiency Conference in Austin from Dec 4‒6. This event is designed to focus on how information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed our economy and revolutionized the relationship between economic production and energy consumption. I was on a panel that discussed how electric, gas, and … Read more
Or Can I Keep Mine Plugged in at Work and Not Feel Guilty? Long Vu, ERS, for Zondits Answer: In terms of energy usage, space heaters use a similar amount of energy to heat up a space as central heating systems do. In fact, space heaters have higher efficiency since almost 100% of the fuel … Read more