IT

Saving Energy in Commercial Buildings: Setting the Example in Philadelphia

By


The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub, a public-private organization whose largest funder is the U.S. Department of Energy, is leading an ambitious charge to reduce energy consumption in Philadelphia’s commercial buildings. The hope is the model can be replicated in other cities across the US.

Because of the Hub’s efforts to “start moving the needle” on discussion of energy retrofits, the City of Philadelphia is likely to have a successful response to its new law requiring energy disclosure for large buildings, predicted Marla Thalheimer, Director of Sustainability at Liberty Property Trust, a commercial real estate firm and Hub partner. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 19, 2012 at 8:30 AM

From the Lawyers: Senator Rockefeller Throws Cybersecurity Gauntlet to Fortune 500 CEOs

By


On September 19th, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter to the CEO of each Fortune 500 company requesting detailed information on his/her company’s cybersecurity practices. Given the particular importance of the energy sector to overall U.S. cybersecurity readiness, Senator Rockefeller’s expectations as to energy sector responses will undoubtedly be high.

The introductory message of the Rockefeller letter is emphatically simple: [we paraphrase] “In the face of an unprecedented national security challenge, The Chamber of Commerce and other inside-the-Beltway lobbyists have thwarted the passage of The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 which was supported by the President and the country’s top military officers. I now call on each of you as business leaders and Americans to express your support for the legislative efforts necessary to protect our economy and country.” Punchy perhaps, but on a stand-alone basis it would not be more than one would expect to get from a Ranking Democrat on a hotly debated issue in an election year. It does not, however, stand-alone. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 18, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Could Cleanweb be New York’s Next Big Tech Industry?

By


When most people think of clean technology, the images that spring to mind are often solar panels and wind turbines. However, the Cleanweb Hackathon in New York City, which took place three weekends ago, showed that computer code and social media are also changing how people interact with energy and other resources, and should perhaps also be on that list.

Hackathons, most often found used within digital industries, are weekend gatherings in which small teams build applications in just two intense days. Cleanweb, as defined by venture capitalist Sunil Paul of Spring Ventures, is “a category of clean technology that leverages the capability of the internet, social media, and mobile technologies to address resource constraints.” Keep reading →

 /  Published October 18, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Saving Energy in Commercial Buildings: Philadelphia Navy Yard

By


Around 3,000 commercial building owners and contractors are weighing a new request for proposals on energy retrofits from an institution that’s a national leader in reducing energy consumption by existing buildings.

The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub, a public-private organization whose largest funder is the U.S. Department of Energy, sent out the RFPs on October 12 as the latest step toward fulfilling its ambitious goal of reducing energy use by commercial buildings in the Philadelphia region by 20 percent by 2020. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 17, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Smart Grid Tech Race Intensifies

By


A year ahead of a global meeting of energy leaders in Daegu, South Korea, the country’s push ahead on smartgrid technology development has been highlighted by a new report from the World Energy Council.

South Korea’s Jeju Island project will be the world’s largest smart grid system of its type when complete, the WEC said in announcing the new report today, one year ahead of the World Energy Congress set for Daegu. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 11, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Smart Cities and Energy Video Panel

By

US Cities are incredibly diverse in their energy use and their energy politics, but many are trying to use the latest tools to solve similar problems with boosting efficiency and adding new capacity.

TED gave a recent prize to the City 2.0, recognizing that the “smart city” is a vital and important trend not only in the US but across the world. In the energy sector, information technology allows tracking of impacts on the grid, of timing for energy usage or traffic and tracking changes in ways that can allow for more-varied forms of policy and business responses to increasingly pressing problems. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 11, 2012 at 10:30 AM

Optimize Your Building with Innovative Energy-efficient Technology

By


Buildings represent a large percentage of all the energy consumed in the United States. That’s why increasing the energy efficiency of buildings – especially existing ones – has become a major priority for many cities throughout the country. In addition to enhancing overall quality of life, transforming commercial and industrial properties combats climate change and fosters innovation that ultimately strengthens our economy.

This push for high-performance buildings has created a market ripe with innovations in building technology. Building technologies such as high-efficiency replacement motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), lighting and controls for heating and cooling equipment are rapidly improving. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 5, 2012 at 9:00 AM

White House Spotlights Energy Data Tools To Help Drive Innovation

By


White House officials brought together dozens of senior government leaders and private sector entrepreneurs Monday, including Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu, to demonstrate how energy data is fueling new products and services aimed at promoting greater energy efficiency in America.

The “Energy Datapalooza“was the latest in a series of White House-sponsored events designed to showcase innovative applications using government data – this one focused on the energy sector – hosted by Federal Chief Technology Officer Todd Park. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 2, 2012 at 11:45 AM

Duke Energy: What a Utility of the Future Might Look Like

By


Transformation of the ageing electric power grid in the US is inevitable and urgent; most people in the energy industry can agree on that.

But exactly at what pace and how the future electric system will look are hotly debated. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 27, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Renewable Energy: Corporates, Financials and Technology Firms Take the Lead

By


Companies are at the leading edge of wind globally, not least in the US. Starbucks recently sent a joint letter with 18 other US companies to Congress to request an extension of the Production Tax Credit which has helped grow installed capacity.

Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co, The North Face, Sprint, Starbucks, Symantec, Timberland and Yahoo! are just a selection of household corporate names that understand the value of a sustainable wind industry to the consumer and the bottom line. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 25, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Page 7 of 361...34567891011...36