TIAA-CREF CEO on Building Energy Efficiency
TIAA-CREF manages one of the nation’s largest real estate portfolios. CEO Roger Ferguson discusses energy efficiency measures from buildings as a “win-win” strategy that can reduce carbon emissions and energy use at a net cost-savings. [source: Environmental Leader]
Two Tools for Crafting Green Building Laws
Local government looking for guidance on green building measures have two new resources from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. [source: GreenBiz]
Microsoft Hohm Connects to Home Power Monitor
Microsoft inks a deal with home energy monitor maker to let people get detailed information on home electricity use without the need for a smart meter. [source: cnet]
DOE Announces $30 Million for Energy Efficient Housing Partnerships
The US Department of Energy has announced up to $30 million in funding for 15 research partnerships that aim to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential housing market.
The Real Reason Google is Buying Wind Power
Here’s the real reason Google entered into a contract earlier this month to buy clean power from a wind farm in Iowa: data centers. [source: Earth2Tech]
Photo by stephenjjohnson
Want to Cut Building Energy Costs? Get Out Your Camera
Many of today's buildings suffer from a "leak-guzzle-hide" phenomenon: leaking billions of dollars and hiding actual energy. But there's a way to address this and it starts with a few snapshots. [Greener Buildings]
Fourteen Chicago Buildings to Get Efficiency Tech
As many as fourteen Chicago buildings are about to install new energy efficiency measures as the result of a $25 million investment by South Korea, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. [Environmental Leader]
Energy Retrofits Could Save $41 Billion a Year
Research analyst calculates how much must be spent to update U.S. commercial real estate versus the resulting savings in energy bills. [cnet]
USGBC Opens Building Performance Partnership to Current LEED-Certified Buildings
USGBC announced that its Building Performance Partnership program will be open to all current whole-building LEED-certified commercial and residential projects starting this summer. [Sustainable Facility]
Energy Ministers Launch Global Clean Energy Initiatives
The first Clean Energy Ministerial meeting took place in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. [Sustainable Business]
DOE Announces $30 Million for Energy-Efficient Housing Partnerships
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. [US Dept. of Energy]
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Five Benefits of Data Center Energy Management
The amount of money wasted each year on idling servers equals the cost of the Apollo space program. But a number of simple strategies can help get your server load under control and start your company saving energy and money. (GreenerComputing)
Google Enters Wholesale Energy Procurement Market
Google has entered the wholesale energy market in a big way by signing a 20 year-deal to buy power from a NextEra Energy wind farm. (SmartMeters)
U.S. Government Moves to Implement Cool Roofs
The Department of Energy is embarking on initiatives to install cool roofs on its buildings whenever practical and is urging other federal agencies and commercial entities to do the same.
GE Offers $200m for a Smart Energy Idea
GE is offering a $200 million dare to startup entrepreneurs, technology pros and other innovative thinkers: Find a way to “reinvent how energy is produced, distributed and consumed.” (Consumer Energy Report)
Can’t Stand the Heat? Check Your Kitchen Ventilation System
Restaurants and other food service establishments are among the highest commercial consumers of energy per square foot. Take steps to improve the energy efficiency and performance of your CKV systems. (Prenova Energy Insider)
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Photo courtesy of NeoSpire
California's Buildings Waste Huge Amounts of Energy, Study Says
Commercial buildings are responsible for 37 percent of California’s energy needs, according to a new report by Next 10.
Database Compiles Green Computing Incentives from Utilities
Software company Computer Lab Solutions has developed a database of incentives that utilities offer for green computing programs.
Kohl’s, Office Depot Add More Energy Efficient Stores
Continuing on their path to save energy and cut costs at their retail stores, Kohl’s Department Stores and Office Depot have recently added to their portfolio of energy-efficient stores.
California Attorney General Sues Fannie and Freddie
Take that, mortgage giants! California Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Jerry Brown has filed a lawsuit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for blocking clean power financing programs known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE).
First Public EV Charging Station Opens in NYC
Coulomb Technologies installed its first charging station in New York that the public can use to recharge electric vehicles.
Photo by Alfonso Jimenez
Hospitals More Likely to Invest in Energy Efficiency
According to new research from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) and Johnson Controls, healthcare organizations are more likely to invest in energy efficiency for their facilities compared to other industry sectors across North America.
Demand Response Helps Fill Supply Gaps in Heat Wave
Faced with brutally hot days and high energy demand last week, grid operators found that dialing down energy with demand response efficiency technology worked as effectively as drawing more juice from power plants.
Philadelphia Adds Solar Panels to Historic Bourse Building
Contributing to Philadelphia’s goal to become the greenest city in the U.S. by 2015, the historic Bourse building, the nation’s first commodities exchange, circa 1895, now has 210 solar panels on its roof, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
PA Investments Will Help Replace Inefficient Energy Systems with Cleaner, Money-Saving Solutions
Commercial businesses, school districts, and homeowners throughout Pennsylvania will be able to replace old, inefficient energy systems with new technology and save a total of $190,000 a year, Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Austin Burke said on July 7.
Smart Thermostat Connects to Solar Panels
You have solar panels on your rooftop, a digital thermostat on your wall and a heating and cooling system throughout your home — why not connect the whole lot of them?
Photo courtesy of brykmantra
Ten Energy Management PowerPoint Slides That Shook the Earth
While not exactly rivaling the classic Tufte examples, these slides have served as change agents in greentech circles.
Investor Climate Resolutions Climb Nearly 50% in 2010
Investors filed a record 101 climate and energy-related resolutions with 88 U.S. and Canadian companies so far in 2010, nearly 50 percent higher than last year, which indicates a growing concern about the risks and opportunities posed by climate change, according to a report from Ceres.
BOMA Names Outstanding Buildings of the Year
The Building Owners and Managers Association International has named the Jones Lang LaSalle-managed Aon Center in Chicago and Minneapolis' Accenture Tower, overseen by CB Richard Ellis, among the commercial real estate industry group's outstanding buildings of the year.
Freddie, Fannie Reject Energy Retrofit Loans
Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates the U.S. mortgage giants, opposes White House-backed PACE loans for green retrofits, threatening the program.
Houston Rockets' Stadium Wins LEED Certification
The Houston Toyota Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets, recently earned certification through the US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Program.
Photo by cogdogblog
Turning Green Building Knowledge into Wisdom
In the green building arena, we are seeing a migration from information to knowledge to wisdom as we study how buildings work and have more and more practical experience. Knowledge doesn't always lead to changes in behavior, but wisdom inevitably does.
How to Turn Blighted Property into Community Assets through Re-powering
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking recycling to a new level with its RE-Powering America’s Contaminated Lands and Mines initiative. Cities, businesses, developers, and investors stand to benefit greatly if they are prepared.
US Planning International Smart Grid Network
According to government sources, the United States plans to announce the formation of the International Smart Grid Action Network, or ISGAN, to expand the U.S. energy market through smart grid standardization and take the lead in the new energy business.
Google Eyes Liquid Cooled Servers
Dunking servers in liquid as a way to cool them is one of the more unconventional ways to reduce the energy consumption of data centers. But the latest Internet giant to eye the splashy tech is Google.
IEA Report: Energy Technology Revolution is now Underway
That developed countries have accelerated their energy efficiency gains, renewable power investment is rising, and electrified vehicles are hitting the road are all signs of an ongoing energy technology revolution, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Photo by andrewrennie
With 4th of July celebrations upon us-as well as the summer heat-no one wants their energy bills to rise with the temperature. Now is the time to think about how to manage your home energy use effectively, practically, AND economically. So, to coincide with our nation celebrating its independence, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program is bringing you cooling tips for every budget.
Cooling Tips for Every Budget
Staying cool this summer doesn't have to mean cranking up the AC and spending a lot of money. A typical household spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling. EPA's ENERGY STAR program has some low-to-no cost energy-saving tips to beat the heat and save money, too.
No-Cost
- Program your thermostat to work around your family's summer schedule-set it a few degrees higher when no one is home, so your cooling system isn't cooling an empty house. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.
- Check your HVAC system's air filter every month. If the filter looks dirty, change it, but change the filter at least every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool-wasting energy.
- Run your ceiling fan to create a cool breeze. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent. Remember that ceiling fans cool you, not the room, so when you leave the room make sure to turn off the fan.
- Close the curtains and shades before you leave your home, to keep the sun's rays from overheating the interior of your home. If you can, move container trees and plants in front of sun-exposed windows to act as shade.
Low-Cost
- Remember to have your HVAC system serviced annually to ensure it's running at optimum efficiency for money and energy savings.
- Swap out incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting choices-ENERGY STAR qualified lighting not only uses less energy, it also produces about 75 percent less heat than incandescent lighting, so cooling bills will be reduced, too.
- Seal your ducts. As much as 20 percent of the air moving through your home's duct system is lost due to leaks and poor connections. Seal duct work using mastic sealant or metal tape and insulate all the ducts that you can access (such as those in attics, crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages).
- Make sure that connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet your floors, walls, and ceilings. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.
Medium-to-Higher Cost
- When buying a room AC unit, look for one that has earned EPA's ENERGY STAR. If every room air conditioner in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR qualified, they would prevent 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually-equivalent to the emissions from 80,000 cars.
- Add insulation to your attic to keep cool air in-if every American household did so, we'd collectively save more than $1.8 billion in yearly energy costs.
- Hire a contractor to seal and insulate the interior ductwork in your home (the ducts you can't reach yourself). For help on choosing the right contractor, go to www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement.
- If your central AC unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with a model that has earned EPA's ENERGY STAR could cut your cooling costs by 30 percent.
For more information about keeping cool and comfortable while saving money this season, visit www.energystar.gov.