Energy Priorities [EPXclusives]

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:44:25 -0800

In 2010 the Winter Olympics will come to Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The athletes will live in an all-new, sustainable urban neighborhood. Denis DuBois toured the site, now under construction, with the man in charge of Olympic Village development and the surrounding neighborhood known as Southeast False Creek. (photos)

Dockside Green

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:52:33 -0800

Dockside Green has gained international acclaim as a mixed-use sustainable development that is achieving LEED Platinum ratings and winning exceptions to local building regulations in return for its innovative solutions. Denis Du Bois toured the site with its visionary leader, Joe Van Belleghem. (photos)

Energy Thought Leaders Group Marks One-Year Anniversary

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:25:58 -0800

Great minds think green. The Energy Priorities Thought Leaders group at LinkedIn was founded a year ago, in October 2007. Members can see who they know among Energy Priorities readers, and connect with like minds.

New Leadership at CalCEF Angel Fund Means New Opportunities for Cleantech Startups

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:10:53 -0800

The CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund's announcement earlier this month -- that Matthew Lecar will henceforth manage the fund -- is good news for the cleantech industry. Lecar combines Sand Hill investment savvy with energy industry expertise. That means entrepreneurs will meet an investor who understands the value of transformational clean energy innovations, and sees through those that aren't really.

Beijing Olympic Village Certified Green; Vancouver Seeks Twin Golds for 2010

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:05:43 -0800

In Beijing China, 17,000 athletes from around the world are staying at a LEED Gold Olympic Village, their temporary home for the 2008 Olympic Games. The U.S. Green Building Council announced this week that the Village has been awarded LEED Gold certification under a pilot LEED for Neighborhood Development certification program.

Smart Buildings: Interview with Jim Sinopoli - Building Priorities Briefing

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:15:57 -0800

The technologies that make a building "smart" come at a cost, and as much as we hear about saving energy to save the planet, building owners still manage by financial metrics. Jim Sinopoli led the Smart Buildings track at ConnectivityWeek 2008, including a session on the ROI of enterprise energy management. This interview between Denis Du Bois and Jim Sinopoli is the second in a series of podcasts from the ConnectivityWeek 2008 conference.

Wireless Smart Buildings: Interview with Bob Heile, ZigBee Alliance - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:21:19 -0800

Denis Du Bois interviewed ZigBee Alliance Chairman Bob Heile at ConnectivityWeek 2008. ZigBee is an open protocol for wireless communications for building-automation sensors and controls. The Alliance is a group of vendors who align themselves with the ZigBee protocol. Heile led a track at ConnectivityWeek -- one session was on ZigBee in commercial buildings, and another was on the role of ZigBee in smart energy.

Three Buildings Net Zero Energy - Building Priorities Briefing

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:12:08 -0800

We explore three commercial buildings without power bills, and contrast the many meanings of "zero" in energy and carbon. First, a commercial building proven to be zero energy -- and then some. In the first 12 months after construction, this building produced more energy than it consumed. Then we learn about two more buildings presented in the ZEB session at Globe last month. The Energy Minute is about the meaning of zero: What should be counted when designating a building "net zero energy" or "zero carbon"? In the Program Notes we have photos and links to more information for those of you who are researching the net-zero option for your own buildings. (podcast) (photo)

Sentient Building Marks Major Advance in Artificial Intelligence: Exclusive Interview

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:16:06 -0800

CHICAGO, April 1, 2008 -- Remember the turn of the 21st century, when intelligent buildings were at the bleeding edge of technology? Now, artificial intelligence is out of the lab and headed for a building near you. Buildings have literally taken on a life of their own and today, the first of April, the first sentient building opened in Chicago Illinois. Denis Du Bois interviews Cornice Leed, the brains of the new Gore Tower office building in the Windy City. (podcast) (transcript)

Globe Conference Draws Business and Sustainability Leaders to Vancouver from around the World

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:11:39 -0800

GLOBE 2008-- If you know about Globe, then you know this is one of the biggest international events about sustainability. If you haven't heard of Globe, I can tell you it is not yet-another-upstart conference to tap into the environmental revival. The Globe 2008 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is also one of the longest-running conferences for sustainable business, having started in the early 1990s. (photos)

Energy Independence at the Office and at Home - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:20:10 -0800

Energy independence comes in many forms. We look at a commercial office example and a residential example that demonstrate how solar helps owners to be self-sufficient in ways that match their values. The California Healthcare Foundation covered the roof of their newly renovated offices with solar panels. Going solar is consistent with their mission to improve the health of Californians. Borrego Solar co-founder Chris Anderson built a new home for himself and went off-grid. He wants to show Northeasterners that a home can be energy independent and comfortable at the same time. Renewable energy isn't the only green-building feature of these two projects. (podcast) (photos)

Solaicx Anticipates Growth, Even if Economy Slows

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:52:24 -0800

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD 2008 -- If the global economy coughs, will it choke off the flow of capital into the solar energy sector? Or does this hot industry have a special antibody that makes it immune to a recession? The prospect of a slowdown is a global issue. For a global perspective, Denis Du Bois interviews Peter Bostock of Solaicx, a company that ships its ingots and wafers to major photovoltaic cell manufacturers all over the world. (podcast)

Renewable Energy World Conference Is Changing with the Industry

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:13:07 -0800

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD 2008 opened earlier this week with keynote addresses by two well-known Nevada dignitaries. This is the fifth year for the conference and expo formerly known as Power-Gen Renewable Energy and Fuels. More than the name has changed. This article is your gateway to our coverage of this all-renewables conference.

Senator Reid Opens Renewable Energy World Conference with Call for Policy Changes

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:15:19 -0800

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD 2008 -- As oil prices closed above $100 a barrel for the first time, the Renewable Energy World 2008 conference and expo opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, today with a keynote address by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (photos)

Mayor Marks Kyoto Anniversary with Home Show Tour

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:08:00 -0800

Seattle Home Show -- Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels commemorated the anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol on opening day of the 64th Annual Seattle Home Show with a short speech and a tour of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy exhibits here.