SCHNEIDER INTRODUCES A SELF-LEARNING THERMOSTAT Builder Online, July 14, 2016 A new thermostat from Schneider Electric “learns” homeowners preferences for heating and cooling and adjusts accordingly. The Eco IQ feature of the company’s Wiser Air Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat takes the guesswork out of determining what temperature is optimal for users by quickly learning from homeowner feedback how … Read more
Conversion efficiency of 18.2 percent achieved using perovskite solar cells Phys, July 13, 2016 A research group led by Liyuan Han, a leader of the Photovoltaic Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), achieved energy conversion efficiency exceeding 18% using standard size (1 cm2) perovskite solar cells for the first time in the world. … Read more
A Zondits Rundown: AES Corporation to Power an Electricity Evolution in Los Angeles By 2021 the Los Angeles “peaker,” a natural gas-burning power plant in Long Beach, will be replaced by the world’s largest storage battery, capable of holding and delivering over 100 megawatts of power an hour for four hours. For reference, the output of 100 … Read more
Isaac Wainstein and Ryan Bossis, ERS, for Zondits Con Edison has launched a nationally recognized program to use energy efficiency and customer-sited distributed energy resources to reduce a forecasted overload on its Brownsville substations. Current projections indicate that by 2018, on a peak summer evening, demand will exceed the substation capacity by up to 52 … Read more
Divyanshu Kamboj, ERS, for Zondits The introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities in the energy efficiency sector is making a very compelling case to reinvent the current practices of evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) of energy efficiency programs. The traditional “snapshot” oriented approach comparing before and after energy usage scenarios is no longer sufficient … Read more
Clean Energy for a Healthy Lifestyle Tecogen, July 7, 2016 The Greenknoll Branch of the Regional YMCA in Western Connecticut provides its clientele with state-of-the-art fitness options that include basketball courts, cardiovascular rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, and strength training rooms. The building is also outfitted with a CM-75 combined heat and power (CHP) system … Read more
5 Simple Steps for Managing Your Plug Load New Buildings Institute Step 1: Review Start smart by gathering your data. Who are your stakeholders? Identify who in your office should be involved in decisions about plug-load devices. Stakeholder expertise is critical to achieving buy-in. What is your budget, and what are your goals? Your plan … Read more
Energy Saver 101 Infographic: Home Cooling U.S. Department of Energy As summer starts to heat up and temperatures rise, many of us are cranking up the air conditioners to stay cool. It should come as no surprise then that air conditioners use about 5 percent of all the electricity produced in the U.S., costing homeowners more than … Read more
Are LED Downlights Economically Viable? Buildings, June 24, 2016 One-for-one LED replacements for fluorescent downlights can save nearly 40% in lighting-related energy use, according to a field study conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on behalf of the GSA’s Green Proving Ground program. Tested in three GSA buildings in Dallas, Philadelphia and Auburn, WA, the … Read more
DesignLights Consortium® Launches Networked Lighting Controls Qualified Products List Design Lights, June 28, 2016 The DesignLights Consortium® is pleased to announce the launch of its Qualified Products List for Networked Lighting Control (NLC) Systems. The first product to meet performance specifications, the RAB Lightcloud system, was published on the list on Monday, June 27. We … Read more