Thomas Friedman keynoted at the 2011 Greenbuild Conference and Expo in Toronto, Ontario. He was joined by USGBC chairman Rick Fedrizzi, CaGBC president Thomas Mueller, Kohler CEO David Kohler, journalist/author Cokie Roberts, and Diesel Canada CEO Joie Adler. Friedman's message to the audience included a specific course of action to halt damaging geopolitical trends and to put the world on a more sustainable path.

Continue reading "Thomas Friedman at Greenbuild 2011: Work within the Political and Economic Constraints" »

Sustainable urban development is a new way of thinking for American cities. Technology is emerging to help planners, architects and residents make the transition -- and address the converging pressures of rapid growth and decaying infrastructure. The question isn't whether to use technology to make cities more sustainable, it's how best to use it. Three experts on sustainably built cities discuss the answers with Denis Du Bois.

Continue reading "Sustainable Cities: There's an App for That!" »

The Cleantech Open announced that 163 semifinalist teams have been selected from across the United States to participate in the cleantech business competition. 35 of the companies will advance in the Energy Efficiency category; 15 are competing in the Green Building category.

Continue reading "Energy Efficiency Startups Clear First Hurdle in Cleantech Open 2011" »

Continue reading "Book Review: Enchantment - The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions" »

An early New Year's resolution from the Federal government is laying the foundation for job growth, taxpayer savings and a more energy-efficient commercial building stock in 2011 and beyond.

Continue reading "If You Build It (Efficiently), They Will Come: Federal Leasing Rule Is Well-Timed" »

When it comes to buildings, Chicago has already done "tallest, biggest, and longest." Now Chicago wants to be the "greenest". We'll find out how they're raising the bar for all the other cities aiming for that same distinction.

Plus: From America's biggest green-building expo, do-it-yourself 3D energy & carbon modeling -- dark sunglasses for buildings -- and devices that charge themselves up -- all in this edition of Energy Priorities. (podcast)(transcript)(photos)

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2010 - "Generation Green"" »

Sustainable cities -- every mayor wants one. They attract green businesses, and the career-minded people who want to work there. Just proclaiming a community "green," though, isn't nearly enough. Forward-thinking cities are walking the talk. We went looking for examples in Copenhagen, Denmark. The secret to their success is integrating energy production right into the city. Learn how Copenhagen stopped worrying about the garbage and started becoming a carbon-neutral city.

Continue reading "Sustaindinavia: Copenhagen's Integrated Approach to Energy" »

The USGBC Greenbuild 2010 International Conference & Expo was in Chicago November 16 through 19. This web page is your gateway to Energy Priorities content (and others') about Greenbuild 2010.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2010 is in Chicago" »

It's back to school for those left unemployed by the recession, and lots of people are signing up for green job training. Plus: Schools are turning out one textbook case after another of energy efficient buildings. And some buildings are so intelligent, they're teaching themselves how to be more energy efficient.

Continue reading "Back to School for Energy Efficiency" »

The smart grid wants you! But what does it take to be a participant in the smart grid? What's in it for you? If the smart grid is so smart, why does it need buildings to integrate with it? And what about the people who are paying for the smart grid -- yeah, all of us -- what do we get out of it? Denis Du Bois interviews two pioneering experts at the building-to-grid frontier, at ConnectivityWeek 2010. (podcast)

Continue reading "The Smart Grid Wants You - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Thanks to new laws, buyers and tenants of large buildings in some areas are entitled to know a building's energy score before they complete their purchase or lease. How long before the U.S. catches up to Europe, where buildings will be labeled according to their energy consumption? Is simply reporting a score meaningful, if there aren't also requirements to improve energy efficiency? Can cities achieve their carbon-related goals without imposing both kinds of rules on businesses? Denis Du Bois interviews Phil Bomrad, Director, Building Technologies, Siemens. (podcast)

Continue reading "Keeping a Watchful Eye over Energy Use - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Southern California Edison has launched one of the most ambitious solar initiatives yet. It involves using the roofs of commercial buildings to develop renewable energy resources. Building owners get paid to host the solar arrays on their rooftops, and the utility takes all the risk. Where else is this kind of program happening? Why would a building owner choose this over the other alternatives for rooftop solar? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois and guest co-host Stephen Lacey decipher the impact for owners, tenants, and solar companies. Denis interviews the corporate sustainability executive for AMB Property Corporation, who just joined SCE's new program. (podcast)

Continue reading "New Models for Rooftop Solar Power - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Imagine a building so energy efficient that it can generate what power it needs with the solar modules on its own roof -- a net zero energy building. It's not a pipe dream. We've been building them in the United States for a decade. The U.S. Department of Energy wants the "ZEB" to be the standard for new buildings. Why is it important to match renewable energy output with the demand for power on a building-by-building basis? And after ten years of zero-energy design, why do we only have eight buildings to show for it? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois talks with David Orr, who designed and built the largest zero-energy building in the U.S. If you think that's cool, wait until you hear what Orr is doing for an encore.

Continue reading "Zero Energy Buildings, Blocks, and Cities - Building Priorities Briefing" »

What do Seattle, Austin and New York have in common? They've all enacted regulations to expose energy-wasting buildings. Owners of large buildings will have to disclose their energy scores to prospective buyers, tenants and lenders. Similar laws have been passed in three states -- and more are on the way. In this month's briefing we explore what's driving these mandates, and how they affect building owners and tenants. Some building owners are making improvements now, to raise their energy scores before they're made public. What's the business case? We'll learn about that, as well as where are the best places to look for low-cost and no-cost ways to boost a building's efficiency score. (podcast) (transcript)

Continue reading "Revealing Ratings to Validate Value of Energy Efficient Space - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Why are cities and states mandating that building owners measure energy consumption -- and disclose the scores publicly? Denis Du Bois interviews Cliff Majersik, LEED AP, executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation. His nonprofit organization focuses on market-based solutions to advanced green building and energy efficiency. He explains what's behind the new benchmarking requirements.

Continue reading "Cities and States Mandate Energy Benchmarking for Buildings" »

Many building owners have been benchmarking their portfolios for years. And they're making improvements, to raise their energy scores even where they're not made public by new disclosure regulations. What's the business case for a landlord to make buildings more efficient, when it's not yet required by law, and doesn't directly save them money? Denis Du Bois interviews Jack Beuttell, Global Sustainability Manager for Hines, a real estate investment, development and management firm.

Continue reading "Energy Star: The Business Case" »

Whether the law mandates energy benchmarking and disclosure, or the market demands more energy efficient buildings, the result is that owners make improvements that reduce energy waste. But where do they begin? How do they know it'll work? And how do they pay for it? Denis Du Bois interviews Ash Awad, Vice President of Energy for McKinstry, a firm that designs, builds, operates and maintains commercial buildings nationwide.

Continue reading "The 5 Layers of Energy Efficiency Opportunities in Commercial Buildings" »

The 2010 Games are being dubbed the "Sustainable Olympics," but is Vancouver BC setting any world records? In this month's Briefing we examine some lessons from the global spectacle. First we look at the venues that Canada constructed for the upcoming Winter Games, to see if they win any green medals. Seven years after winning the bid, we find Canadians are not entirely happy about the upcoming games. Green business guru Martin Westerman shares his thoughts about how to really make the games green. (podcast)

Continue reading "How Green Are the 2010 Winter Olympics? - Building Priorities Briefing" »

VANOC ordered Olympic host cities to build 9 venues from the ground up, and renovate several existing arenas. All of the new venues will be certified green buildings. VANOC's Vice President of Corporate Sustainability tells us about the green construction projects. Then we're joined by Stephen Lacey, host of "Inside Renewable Energy." Stephen gives us his take on the energy systems in the Olympic Village and beyond.

Continue reading "Green Buildings of Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics" »

If the IOC had no choice but to make the Olympics environmentally neutral, how would they do it? Martin Westerman has some ideas. He is the author of "The Business Environmental Handbook," a lecturer on sustainable business for the University of Washington Business School and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

Continue reading "How To Really Make the Olympics Green" »

Pulse Energy in Vancouver is making it possible for you to watch real-time energy consumption at the 2010 Winter Olympic venues in Vancouver. Denis Du Bois talks with the company's co-founder, David Helliwell.

Continue reading "Interview: David Helliwell, Co-Founder, Pulse Energy" »

The Wall Street Green Trading Summit is coming up on March 23 and 24, 2010, in Times Square in New York City. Launched in 2002, this is one of the longest-running environmental market events in the industry.

Continue reading "Timely Investment Summit on Times Square" »

In this final Briefing of 2009: The New York Times building uses an approach called "total light management" to shave 70 percent off its lighting energy use. We'll hear how they decided on that approach, how it works, and how it's working. Plus: Denis Du Bois interviews Siemens on the building-to-smart-grid interface, and Autodesk on how building information modeling could accelerate the certification process for green buildings. (podcast)

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2009: Model to Building to Grid - Building Priorities Briefing" »

The New York Times building uses an approach called "total light management" to shave 70 percent off its lighting energy use. Here's how they decided on that approach, how it works, and how it's working. Denis Du Bois interviews Glenn Hughes about the project.

Continue reading "New York Times Building Reduces Lighting Energy by 70 Percent" »

In the realm of intelligent buildings, there's a lot of talk about the smart grid, B2G, and "convergence." Denis Du Bois interviews Siemens, a major player in both sectors. Is there a roadmap for this convergence, or will it be a pile-up?

Continue reading "Will Smart Buildings Mind-Meld with the Smart Grid?" »

Lighting is one of the easiest sources of energy efficiency in a commercial building. It's also an important source of points for LEED certification. Denis Du Bois takes a look at Lutron's Quantum system for "total light management" in commercial buildings.

Continue reading "Total Light Management Combines Strategies to Shave Energy Use" »

Convia takes a different approach to lighting controls. Denis Du Bois talks with Convia at Greenbuild 2009.

Continue reading "Intelligent Power Loads Provide Flexibility and Energy Efficiency" »

Designers are using Building Information Modeling to predict how a building will perform with various design alternatives. Will BIM accelerate the LEED certification process and make buildings greener -- and more marketable? Denis Du Bois interviews Erin Rae Hoffer, AIA, LEED AP, Autodesk, about the relationship between BIM and LEED certification.

Continue reading "Will BIM Help Owners Manage Buildings more Efficiently?" »

This report begins with the sound of an electric bus traveling through downtown Seattle. It's a reminder that electric transportation isn't new -- a timely reminder, because Denis Du Bois is on his way to test drive a prototype of the Nissan all-electric car, the Leaf. (podcast)

Continue reading "Nissan Plans Leaf with Complete Charging Infrastructure" »

GREENBUILD 2009-- The Empire State Building plans to trim 38 percent from its monumental $11 million annual energy bill with an energy efficiency retrofit. This month JCI's Clay Nesler joins Denis Du Bois in an interview at the Greenbuild 2009 Conference and Expo. The Energy Minute is about daylighting, and the final segment is about interesting products at Greenbuild. This is the first of two Briefings from Greenbuild. (podcast) (transcript)

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2009: Energy is the Monumental Issue - Building Priorities Briefing" »

The Empire State Building plans to trim 38 percent from its monumental $11 million annual energy bill with an energy efficiency retrofit. Clay Nesler of Johnson Controls joins Denis Du Bois for an interview about the project.

Continue reading "Empire State Building: Monumental Energy Retrofit" »

Sophisticated lenses and controllable dimming work together to deliver a simple result: daylight to work by. Denis Du Bois looks at the Solatube 750DS.

Continue reading "Tubular Daylighting Offers Consistent, Natural Office Light" »

Nanotechnology makes it possible to apply a film on office windows that blocks sunlight when it's hot outside. Denis Du Bois saw Ravenbrick's demo and interviewed the company's CEO.

Continue reading "Heat-Activated Tinting Could Solve a Daylighting Dilemma" »

GREENBUILD-- Tubular daylighting devices were on display by a few vendors at Greenbuild 2009. Solatube International gave Denis Du Bois a demo of their flagship product, the 750DS. It has features that gather sunlight very efficiently, and give commercial building occupants the ability to control how much of it is delivered.

Continue reading "Need Daylight Deep in Buildings? Tube It In" »

GREENBUILD-- Al Gore's speech in Phoenix on Wednesday underscored the context in which the green building movement is gaining traction. He called on Americans to find the political will to "pull the common thread" and unravel three crises at once.

Continue reading "Al Gore: Political Will is a Renewable Resource" »

GREENBUILD-- LEDs are everywhere at Greenbuild 2009. GE is showing some upcoming products that help designers earn LEED credits with light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires.

Continue reading "GE Module Coming in 2010 Makes LED Luminaires Upgradeable and Adjustable" »

GREENBUILD 2009 in Phoenix AZ ended today. This article serves as your gateway to our coverage of Greenbuild 2009.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2009 Brings Sustainability to "Main Street" in Phoenix" »

GREENBUILD-- Ray Anderson is an entertaining Southerner and a poignant speaker. He is arguably the most popular corporate chairman-environmentalist. Anderson greened the carpet company he founded, Interface, and was named one of Time's Heroes of the Environment. Now he travels and speaks to business leaders about his experiences. Anderson spoke at a United States Green Building Council Executive Luncheon on Wednesday.

Continue reading "Radical Industrialist Shares Insights with CEO Roundtable" »

GREENBUILD 2009 -- NREI and USGBC announced the results of the 2009 Green Building Survey: "Doubling Down on Green: Why Sustainability Endures in the Face of a Recession."

Continue reading "Green Real Estate Survey Results: Energy Efficiency Retrofits Gain Ground in Recession" »

GREENBUILD -- Retrofitting the 78-year-old Empire State Building is a major undertaking. Clay Nesler is part of a team of experts responsible for the project. What exactly does his team expect to achieve, and at what cost?

Continue reading "Empire State Building to be a Replicable Model for Energy Efficiency Retrofits" »

GREENBUILD -- The huge conference and expo about sustainable building in North America starts tomorrow morning. Over 24,000 attendees are pre-registered. One issue can be credited with the record attendance at Greenbuild during an economic downturn...

Continue reading "Greenbuild is Ready for 20,000+ Architects, Builders and Owners" »

Greenbuild is the big North American conference and expo for green-building professionals. Attendees are invited to register for education sessions in advance. Here's our list of recommendations.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2009: Which Education Sessions To See" »

The City of Vancouver staged a ceremonial handover of the Olympic Village to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (VANOC) on Wednesday.

Continue reading "Vancouver LEED Neighborhood Handed Over to Olympic Organizers" »

Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire was the keynote speaker at the final awards gala for her state's first cleantech business plan competition. About 200 people came to the ACT Theatre last night to see which three startups were selected as finalists. Congratulations to Green Lite Motors, Hydrovolts Inc., and LivinGreen Materials. Winning teams will compete in the National Clean Tech Open in San Francisco next month.

Continue reading "Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open Winners: Green Lite Motors, Hydrovolts, LivinGreen Materials" »

Senate debates are accelerating this week on Bill 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, despite the ongoing attention to healthcare legislation. Will a bill reach the floor in time for President Obama's trip to Copenhagen?

Continue reading "Senate Debates Climate Legislation amid Competing Forecasts of Its Effects" »

The journey of the Olympic Flame began today in an historic ceremony steeped in Greek tradition. The Torch Relay will conclude with the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. That will be only the beginning of the journey for sustainability ideas developed for the Games -- ideas that could establish new traditions of sustainability.

Continue reading "Torch-Lighting Marks 2010 Green Olympics Launch" »

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today released the third edition of its State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which scores and ranks states on the adoption and implementation of energy efficiency policies and programs. Six northeastern states made the top 10; the south is well represented in the bottom-10 list.

Continue reading "Northeast Dominates Top 10 List for Energy Efficiency Policies" »

The 2010 Olympics' transportation planning team released an update to its integrated transportation plan this morning. The plan addresses how athletes and officials will get where they need to be, while local residents travel less, when spectators descend on Vancouver in February.

Continue reading "Vancouver Plans on More Transit, Less Traffic during 2010 Winter Olympics" »

ASHRAE's Datacom Series on data center design and operation has been compiled into one searchable CD. The Datacom Series provides guidance on ways to plan, build and monitor data centers in ways that are both energy efficient and cost effective.

Continue reading "ASHRAE Makes Green IT Handbook Searchable" »

In the next month, dozens of contestants will learn their fates in the nation's two largest business plan competitions for cleantech startup companies. The Ignite Clean Energy competition will name its winners on November 10 in Boston. The Clean Tech Open, with competitions in Silicon Valley, Denver and Seattle, will name regional winners in events leading up to the national finals on November 17 in San Francisco.

Continue reading "Judgment Time for Hottest Cleantech Startups in the U.S." »

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently established energy efficiency programs for 2010 through 2012, approving a three-year budget of $3.1 billion for four investor-owned utilities. More than $1 billion of that budget will go toward commercial buildings and industrial facilities. CPUC says this is the largest commitment ever made by a state to energy efficiency.

Continue reading "Commercial Buildings To Benefit from California's $3.1 Billion Budget for Energy Efficiency Programs" »

Rio de Janeiro was selected today to host the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in 2016. Brazil promises an "all-green Olympics" and has already started with serious steps toward that goal.

Continue reading "Rio de Janeiro to Host All-Green Olympic Summer Games in 2016" »

Extreme Capacitors is one of 12 semi-finalists in the 2009 Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company has developed a new generation of super capacitors that will have 10X the energy storage per pound of existing materials. Denis Du Bois interviews Karl Young, founder/CEO. (podcast)

Continue reading "Extreme Capacitors: Lightweight Power Packs for Electric Vehicles" »

A digital "book" promotes the sustainable energy concepts implemented in the Olympic Village in Vancouver BC Canada. Chapter 5 of "The Challenge Series" is worthwhile reading for those interested in the energy aspects of green buildings.

Continue reading "Energy Systems for the 2010 Winter Olympics" »

Veranda Solar is one of 12 semi-finalists in the 2009 Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company's designs could bring the initial cost of residential solar down to $1000 or less. Denis Du Bois interviews Capra J'neva, CEO. (podcast)

Continue reading "Veranda Solar: Miniaturized, Power-Dense Residential PV" »

LivinGreen Materials is one of 12 semi-finalists in the 2009 Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company's "drop-in" solar cell manufacturing technology could bring the cost of solar power closer to grid parity. Denis Du Bois interviews Chris Tagge, co-founder and CEO. (podcast)

Continue reading "LivinGreen Materials: Bringing Solar Closer to Grid Parity" »

Hydrovolts is one of 12 semifinalists in the Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company's "flip wing" turbine marks new levels of efficiency in generating energy from flowing water. A generator can be dropped into a canal or stream in an afternoon with minimal site preparation. Denis Du Bois interviews Burton Hamner, co-founder and President. (podcast)

Continue reading "Hydrovolts: "Flip Wing" Turbine Bouys Efficiencies" »

InnovaTek is one of 12 semifinalists in the Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company's business concept involves generating power on site using hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen is extracted from biofuels, making the system completely independent of fossil fuels and the grid. Denis Du Bois interviews Dr. Patricia Irving, the Founder and CEO of InnovaTek. (podcast)

Continue reading "InnovaTek: Distributed Energy Generation Using Hydrogen and Biofuels" »

Mary Ann Piette tells Denis Du Bois about her work as Research Director of the Demand Response Research Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (podcast)

Continue reading "Mary Ann Piette Interview" »

Juval Löwe, Principal of IDesign and Microsoft "Software Legend" and keynote speaker at ConnectivityWeek 2009, interviewed by Denis Du Bois, Editor of Energy Priorities Magazine. (podcast)

Continue reading "Juval Lowe Interview" »

Anto Budiardjo, President and CEO of Clasma Events, founder of the ConnectivityWeek conference, interviewed via web video link by Denis Du Bois, Editor of Energy Priorities Magazine. (video)

Continue reading "Face to Face: Anto Budiardjo, CEO, Clasma" »

What started as BuilConn several years ago has become a multi-conference about the convergence of energy and IT. ConnectivityWeek 2009 was held in Santa Clara, CA. Energy Priorities brings you the highlights of Bob Metcalfe's keynote, a speed tour of the expo, a summary of business opportunities identified, and a new place to look up all the acronyms. Plus interviews with visionaries in IT, smart energy, venture investment, and demand response.

Continue reading "ConnectivityWeek 2009 Connects Thought Leaders in Energy and IT" »

Even if your company is environmentally responsible, planning your annual meeting or sales conference pressures you to make compromises. Experts at GMIC, USGBC and the 2010 Olympic Committee share the philosophies that guide them through those decisions. If you've heard enough ideas like compostable utensils and web conferencing, this month's briefing will give you some fresh new perspectives to consider. (podcast)

Continue reading "Green Events: Setting the Standards and Looking Ahead - Building Priorities Briefing" »

The stimulus bill has lit a fire under U.S. states to come up with cleantech projects so they can distribute federal funding, at a time when almost every governor already is scrambling to make theirs the state with the most successful transition to a clean energy economy. Washington is no exception. (photos)

Continue reading "Washington Energy Summit: How To Get Stimulus Funds" »

Conversation with Nicholas Stern, leader of The Stern Review, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, and former U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Subjects include stimulus funds, the upcoming climate policy meetings in Copenhagen, climate change deniers, and carbon tax vs. cap-and-trade.

Continue reading "Tea with Lord Nicholas Stern" »

When Denis started Energy Priorities Magazine on Earth Day 2004, he didn't imagine that the world would change so much in just five years.

Continue reading "Earth Day: Energy Priorities Celebrates 5 Years" »

What is innovation? At its base, it is the act of thinking of something new. The buzzword has been recruited to represent much larger ideas -- from solutions for intractable global problems, to breakthrough technologies for our iPersonal entertainment. Washington's Innovation Summit examined the process of innovation and how it affects business and the economy. (photos)

Continue reading "How Cleantech Ideas Happen: Report from an Innovation Summit" »

Many excellent ideas for sustainable business came out of the 8th World Conference on Sport and the Environment last week. Topics ranged from managing energy and waste to building venues and communities. Only a few hundred people could fit into the two-day conference, most from Olympic Committees and sponsor companies around the globe. How can business leaders everywhere gain from the lessons shared in Vancouver?

Continue reading ""Living Lightly" Visionary Shares Insights on Olympic Sustainability Conference" »

With rising expectations for meetings and conferences to be green, meeting planners now have a new resource from one of the world’s oldest and largest event organizers. Anyone can download and use it for productions of any size or sort, from half-day sales meetings to week-long conventions.

Continue reading "Innovative Event Planners Compile Best Ideas into a Sustainable Event Toolkit" »

Olympic hosts, hopefuls and head honchos from around the globe are gathered in Vancouver BC for a two-day crash course in sustainability -- the eighth World Conference on Sport and the Environment.

Continue reading "World Conference on Sport and the Environment 2009 Convenes in Canada" »

With only one year to go before Canada hosts the 2010 Olympics, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is inviting communities across the host country to help celebrate the countdown to 2010 in their own unique way. Will the Games be green?

Continue reading "One Year to Go: Countdown to 2010 Olympics" »

In this month's briefing: Denis Du Bois grabs his ever-ready shovel -- and microphone -- and digs into the subject of the green recovery. Interview with Van Jones, the founder and president of Green for All, recipient of several awards for leadership in human rights, and author of the book "The Green Collar Economy." (podcast)

Continue reading "Van Jones on the Green Recovery - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Once in a while, when waiting for an evening bus in downtown Seattle, I realize I'm standing in a solar-powered bus shelter. And I wonder whatever happened to the enthusiasm of Carmanah Technologies Corp, the company that illuminated those shelters and was so gung-ho about solar transit lighting. (photo)

Continue reading "Green Light for Transit: Urban Solar Steps in to Fill Need for Bus Shelter Lighting " »

GREENBUILD 2008 -- In this month's special-edition briefing: the Greenbuild Int'l Conference and Expo is the world's biggest event on sustainability in the built environment. Global economic conditions and the elections made this a very interesting year for the conference. (podcast) (photos)

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2008 - Building Priorities Briefing" »

Index to Energy Priorities Magazine's day-by-day coverage of the Greenbuild 2008 Conference and Expo in Boston. The big annual conference on green building opened in Boston November 19, with 30,000 attendees. Interest in green real estate is at an all-time high. Does green building pay off? We examine that question throughtout Greenbuild. This article is your gateway to Energy Priorities Magazine's articles and podcast.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2008 "Revolutionary Green"" »

GREENBUILD 2008 -- We asked Betsy Boyle, the Manager of the Real Estate Program at Ceres, to share her thoughts with us about the outlook for green buildings in a weakened, carbon-constrained economy. How will the current economic downturn and a price on carbon affect the value of green commercial real estate? What stands in the way of having more LEED or Energy Star buildings, and how important is certification?

Continue reading "Emerging Climate Change Regulations Impact Real Estate Valuations" »

GREENBUILD 2008 -- Nancy Floyd, founder of cleantech venture capital firm Nth Power, today said the building market is at the tipping point and ripe for disruption. Venture capitalists have not paid attention to the green building market's potential, but they should: "Green building is the bright spot in this recession."

Continue reading "VC Calls Green Building Technologies "Bright Spot" in Economy" »

GREENBUILD 2008 -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate and revered advocate against poverty and human rights abuses, is this year's keynote speaker at Greenbuild 2008, Boston.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2008: Keynote with Archbishop Desmond Tutu" »

GREENBUILD 2008 -- The big annual conference on green building opens in Boston November 19, with 30,000 attendees. Interest in green real estate is at an all-time high. Does it pay off? We'll be examining that question throughtout Greenbuild. Today: In a meeting prior to the opening of the conference, McGraw-Hill Construction released the results of three major studies of the financial benefits of sustainable building. Here are some highlights from the reports.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2008: Green Outlook for Sustainable Buildings in 2009" »

Dr. Brian Nattrass is the author of "Dancing with the Tiger" and other books on sustainable business practices. He's best known for his consulting work on sustainability with high-profile clients like Nike, Starbucks and the US Army. Nattrass spoke to a business audience in Seattle recently, at a green business summit organized by the Puget Sound Business Journal. (podcast)

Continue reading "Brian Nattrass: How To Dance with the Tiger of Sustainability" »

What should the U.S. Department of Energy look like in the new era of carbon control, and who should run it? One proposal on the table is to form a National Energy Council.

Continue reading "President Obama's Cabinet for Energy and Climate" »

Members of the U.S. Green Building Council are voting on whether to approve LEED 2009, the latest evolution of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification system. The update includes a series of technical changes focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Continue reading "LEED 2009: Rating System Is Shifting its Focus to Energy and Carbon for Commercial Buildings" »

The power purchase arrangements the Air Force made for the solar power installation on Nellis Air Force Base put a new twist on a conventional financing vehicle commonly used for coal-fired power plants.

Continue reading "How Nellis AFB Financed its 14MW Solar Project" »

In Seattle, the only other place you would see so many suits is a funeral. But this capacity crowd of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs came not to bury the future of green. These 380 attendees came to hear what cleantech leaders are saying about the recent economic crisis and its effects on the industry. Optimism abounds. (photos)

Continue reading "Money Meets Optimism at Renewable Energy Finance Forum West" »

Denis Du Bois briefs us on his trip to Canada where he spent two days exploring sustainable building and urban design strategies at Dockside Green, the University of British Columbia, and the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver BC. (podcast) (photos)

Continue reading "Sustainable Urban Development - Building Priorities Briefing" »

SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL 2008 -- There's no doubt the U.S. stands to learn a lot from the EU experience with solar -- particularly Germany's successes. But are we applying what we're learning? Denis Du Bois interviews Kimberly Harris, Chief Resource Officer for Puget Sound Energy in Seattle. Harris had just come back from the SEPA Germany fact-finding trip that Julia Hamm referred to in her conference keynote. (podcast)

Continue reading "U.S. Utilities Apply What They Learn from Germany's Solar Successes" »

SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL 2008 -- The Solar Power International conference sold out. Again. And once again the line-up of speakers was first class. They included California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and General Wesley Clark. Celebrities aside, this conference -- the industry's largest -- gave us an annual glimpse into the business of solar. Denis Du Bois talks about the show with CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund Manager Matt Lecar. (podcast)

Continue reading "Solar Power Intl 2008 Observations" »

SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL 2008: As the sold-out Solar Power conference opened in San Diego this morning, its co-organizer issued a challenge to industry to grow solar electric capacity by 30X by 2016, despite a struggling economy.

Continue reading "Solar Power Intl: SEPA Demands Deployments Despite Downturn" »

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)

Continue reading "Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village" »

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)

Continue reading "Dockside Green" »

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.

Continue reading "Energy Thought Leaders Group Marks One-Year Anniversary" »

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.

Continue reading "New Leadership at CalCEF Angel Fund Means New Opportunities for Cleantech Startups" »

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.

Continue reading "Beijing Olympic Village Certified Green; Vancouver Seeks Twin Golds for 2010" »

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. (podcast)

Continue reading "Smart Buildings: Interview with Jim Sinopoli - Building Priorities Briefing" »

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.

Continue reading "Wireless Smart Buildings: Interview with Bob Heile, ZigBee Alliance - Building Priorities Briefing" »

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)

Continue reading "Three Buildings Net Zero Energy - Building Priorities Briefing" »

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)

Continue reading "Sentient Building Marks Major Advance in Artificial Intelligence: Exclusive Interview" »

Emerald Architecture is a beautifully produced compilation of the green building case studies issued in GreenSource Magazine through the end of 2007.

Continue reading "Book Review: Emerald Architecture" »

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)

Continue reading "Globe Conference Draws Business and Sustainability Leaders to Vancouver from around the World" »

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)

Continue reading "Energy Independence at the Office and at Home - Building Priorities Briefing" »

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)

Continue reading "Solaicx Anticipates Growth, Even if Economy Slows" »

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.

Continue reading "Renewable Energy World Conference Is Changing with the Industry" »

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)

Continue reading "Senator Reid Opens Renewable Energy World Conference with Call for Policy Changes" »

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.

Continue reading "Mayor Marks Kyoto Anniversary with Home Show Tour" »

This month we explore the cohousing trend in residential green building. We start with an audio tour of a cohousing community now under construction in New Hampshire. The sustainable housing development uses wood pellet boilers to provide heat and hot water, so the Energy Minute is about using biomass as a heating fuel. In the third half of the show we hear about what opportunities the cohousing trend creates for builders and developers. (podcast) (photos)

Continue reading "Cohousing: Green Building Trend and Opportunity - Building Priorities Briefing" »

The total FY 2009 request for the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is a 27 percent cut from the FY 2008 level. Nuclear and "clean coal" are obvious priorities for the Administration, with increased budget proposals for each.

Continue reading "FY 2009 Budget Request Means Big Cuts for Efficiency, Renewables" »

This is the premier edition of the new Building Priorities Briefing. This month we'll see what decisions went into the design of a new mixed-use campus to reduce their costs throughout the building lifecycle. The Energy Minute this month is about open versus proprietary networking methods for building controls. And Denis Du Bois interviews the consultant who designed the networked controls system for the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, CA. (podcast)

Continue reading "Open Networks for Building Control Systems - Building Priorities Briefing" »

2008 promises to be an interesting and fruitful year. We can look forward to the effects of a new Energy Bill, presidential elections, and a growing trend toward sustainability in every aspect of business.

All three hold tremendous potential to strengthen profitability, competitiveness and our outlook for a sustainable future.

Our wish for you is to realize your full share of that potential in 2008.

Happy New Year,

Denis, Linda, Chris, Kathleen and everyone else who makes the virtual "printing press" go round at Energy Priorities.

Austin, Texas will be the site of the first manufacturing facility for HelioVolt Corporation, a producer of thin film solar energy products. The site was announced this morning. HelioVolt is headquartered in Austin, home to several clean-tech companies.

Continue reading "Austin Clean Tech Hub Expands: HelioVolt To Build Thin-Film Solar Factory" »

The Energy Independence and Security Act was signed into law moments ago by President Bush. This Energy Priorities summary, based on a list provided by Rep. Jay Inslee's (D-WA) office, focuses on the highlights of the bill. Renewable electric energy provisions are in Title VI; green building provisions are in Title IV.

Continue reading "Summary of the Energy Independence and Security Act, H.R. 6." »

Data center managers are increasingly concerned about the energy footprint of their operations. Power consumption, cooling demand, and physical space are at or near maxed-out levels. Several resources are emerging to provide information about shrinking the footprint and reducing the energy-related risks in data centers.

Continue reading "Data Center Energy: Information Resources Emerge" »

Fat Spaniel Technologies today announced a new web-based monitoring service for commercial-scale solar hot water installations. FST also announced a new integration with Outback equipment for off-grid and grid-tie photovoltaics. The news indicates the company is expanding its market focus into emerging niches of renewable energy information and analysis. (photos)

Continue reading "Fat Spaniel Spreads Out To Cover Solar Thermal Monitoring" »

Solaicx is a manufacturer of silicon ingots and wafers for photovoltaics, and the company recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Portland, OR. The plant will start out producing about 32 megawatts per year, and at full capacity it expects to employ 180 skilled workers and churn out 180 megawatts per year. Solaicx says its proprietary manufacturing technology yields low-cost, high quality cells that are optimized for solar energy applications. Why locate in Oregon, and not Asia? What is it about the Solaicx process that could make solar "affordable?" Denis Du Bois interviews the company's CEO, Bob Ford. (podcast) (photos) (transcript)

Continue reading "Solaicx Begins Full-Scale Production of "Solar-Optimized" Silicon Wafers in Oregon" »

The IPCC's Synthesis Report, the fourth and final installment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is due in a few weeks. Just the Summary for Lawmakers is more than meaty enough to consume your idle reading time this weekend. Thankfully, our staff has extracted the key points and boiled 23 pages down to 2.

Continue reading "IPCC Fourth Report Summary" »

Continue reading "The Business Case for Green Office Buildings" »

GREENBUILD-- What we saw at Greenbuild 2007 could reconceptualize the way architects design buildings. When you see the photos, you'll agree. Autodesk terms it a "research project" for now. Will it be a real product, when, and in what form? EP talked with Autodesk VP Phil Bernstein about the company's sustainability analysis dashboard.

Continue reading "Autodesk Sustainability Analysis Dashboard Wows Greenbuild Attendees" »

GREENBUILD-- President Bill Clinton, speaking to a packed auditorium of 8,000 attendees at the oversold Greenbuild 2007 conference in Chicago, gave the audience a call to action: Prove to the world that solving the climate problem is the biggest opportunity for economic and social mobilization since World War II.

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2007: Bill Clinton Urges Mobilization on "Staggering Economic Opportunity"" »

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 enacted renewable energy tax credits, but most expire at the end of 2008. That tosses many tax and regulatory policies back up in the air. Congress has been working on energy bills aimed at weaning the U.S. off oil, creating American jobs and addressing climate change. What will be in the 2007 energy bill, and what do renewable energy industry executives foresee if it passes -- or if it doesn't?

Continue reading "Energy Bill 2007 Could Give Renewables the Green Light -- or a Lump of Coal" »

There's a one-day conference in Seattle next week, "Clean Tech Investing in the Pacific Northwest," that should be well worth attending. Stoel Rives and Nth Power recruit some outstanding speakers from around the world for the annual conference. Nth Power's founder has been in the energy business since the early 1980s and is best known for founding a clean tech investment firm before the field was even called "clean tech." She will moderate an investor panel discussing best practices in getting cleantech companies funded. Denis Du Bois interviews Nancy Floyd, founder and Managing Director of Nth Power in San Francisco. (podcast) (transcript)

Continue reading "Clean Tech Investing in the Pacific Northwest 2007" »

In the 1970s, American utilities started burying cables to avoid unisghtly poles and vulnerable overhead lines. It soon became common practice to also bury privately-owned power lines under corporate campuses, universities, hospitals and factories. Now there are billions of feet of underground aluminum and copper cables nearing the end of their 25-year lifespan. One company has invented a way to rejuvenate cabling and extend the life of its insulation. Novinium treats the cable by injecting chemicals into it, for about half the cost of replacing the line. There are important environmental advantages to this method, too. Denis Du Bois interviews Glen Bertini, CEO of Novinium. (podcast)

Continue reading "Power Lines Buried, but Not Dead: Novinium Injects New Life into Cables" »

Demand response and advanced metering are in the perpetual pilot stage in many utility territories. What will it take to make demand response an integral part of power delivery? At a conference on the banks of the Potomac, utilities and regulators will search for the answer.

Continue reading "Demand Response -- How Do We Make It Work Best?" »

Continue reading "Solar Decathlon 2007 Winners" »

Continue reading "Solar Decathlon 2007 Draws 100,000 To See Energy-Efficient Homes" »

Benefuel, Inc. and its customer Seymour Biofuels announced plans this morning to build a biodiesel refinery based on technology that converts low-grade fats and vegetable oils into biodiesel.

Continue reading "Seymour Refinery To Tackle Key Flaws in Biodiesel Production" »

SOLAR POWER 2007 -- The sold-out Solar Power 2007 conference rocked Long Beach CA. If you didn't make it to the conference, this article is your info gateway to catch up on the happenings there. Essential links to sound bytes from the keynote presentations, stories from the expo floor, an inside view from the Press Room, webcasts of the conference, and more.

Continue reading "Solar Power 2007 Round-Up" »

If I were to sum up the message of the opening remarks from the Solar Power 2007 conference, it would be simply: "We have arrived." Plus, Ted Turner's unabashed remarks were the talk of the conference. (Includes a sampling of his more memorable sound bytes.) (podcast)(photo)(transcript)

Continue reading "Solar Power 2007 Conference Keynote Presentation Themes" »

One of the promises of a "smart grid" is to bring the advantages of data and communications networks to the infrastructure that delivers electricity to our businesses and homes. That would make it possible to fully deploy ideas like demand response and real-time pricing -- ideas that depend on having intelligence at both ends of the wire -- sophisticated systems at the utility end; and at the customer's site, smart energy meters. Why is the United States so far behind Europe in deploying advanced metering infrastructures? What will it take to accelerate adoption? Denis Du Bois interviews Jeff Lund, a VP in the Networked Energy Services division at Echelon. (podcast) (transcript)

Continue reading "Marketing Intelligence: The Challenges of Selling Smart Meters in the US" »

Trojan Battery Company made record-setting investments in technologies that essentially enable them to buy less energy from their utility. What's unusual about that? The utility paid for the technology, and pays Trojan Battery to use it. The process of preparing for summer demand response yielded a fortunate financial byproduct: Trojan gets lower rates that are saving the company thousands on its electric bill every month. (photos)

Continue reading "Energy Efficiency Creates Unusual Alliance between Manufacturer and Utility" »

How do you define "Green IT?" Growth is driving global trends in resource depletion, air and water pollution, energy consumption, and climate change. A third of U.S. energy consumption comes from commercial buildings. Businesses are automating those buildings to reduce costs and emissions. Will IT lead, or follow, the coming change? This is the second in a two-part series on IT's role in solving energy and environmental problems.

Continue reading "What Is Green IT? Part 2: Converging with the Shadow Network" »

How do you define "Green IT?" Sure, data center energy savings are a huge opportunity. Data centers consume more energy per square foot than any other part of an office building. But they're part of an information and services supply chain that begins with raw materials and ends with the disposal of waste. The chain includes people, the space they occupy, and the cars they drive. Along the way, the chain increasingly gobbles energy and spews greenhouse gases.

The IT department is in a unique position to change that. This is the first in a two-part series on IT's role in solving energy and environmental problems.

Continue reading "What Is Green IT? Part 1: Cutting Emissions and Energy Use Enterprise-wide" »

Continue reading "IPCC Fourth Assessment Defines Role of Buildings in Climate Change Mitigation" »

Interview with Ed Richards of Richards-Zeta. We talk about new tools and ideas for buildings. Ed shares his insights about the influence of California, Europe and Asia on those ideas. (podcast)

Continue reading "ConnectivityWeek 2007 Insight: New Integrated Approach to Buildings Lifecycle" »

Interview with Carter Williams, keynote speaker and president of Gridlogix. We'll talk about the vision of Buildings 2.0 and the technology that drives it. (podcast)

Continue reading "ConnectivityWeek 2007 Insight: Roadmap to Buildings 2.0" »

Today is opening day for ConnectivityWeek in Chicago. The focus for today's ConnectivityWeek Insight podcast is the Cisco Connected Roundtable track. I interview Rick Huijbregts, the track leader. (podcast) (transcript)

Continue reading "ConnectivityWeek 2007 Insight: Cisco Connected Roundtable" »

The fifth annual BuilConn kicks off next week in Chicago as part of ConnectivityWeek 2007. Energy Priorities editor Denis Du Bois is hosting a daily podcast series featuring interviews with the top speakers at the conference. BuilConn is all about the convergence of building automation and information technology, a field that takes the concept of "connectivity" to extremes. Make it possible to connect lighting controls to the security system and tie it all to the corporate information trust, and you have an environment that just might make buildings truly "intelligent."

Continue reading "ConnectivityWeek 2007 "Highlights and Insights" Podcast Series Begins May 22" »

PepsiCo announced the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) to match 100 percent of the purchased electricity used by all of its US-based manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers and regional offices. The EPA says the purchase marks the largest REC deal to date. The deal is for 1 billion kWh per year for three years. How much is that in real money?

Continue reading "PepsiCo Makes Largest Corporate Purchase Yet of RECs" »

Data centers are big energy users, and manufacturers like Sun and IBM have been responding with more energy-efficient technologies. Today IBM announced the application of self-assembling nanotechnology to conventional chip manufacturing, borrowing a process from nature to build the next generation computer chips. The chips will use less energy, and be faster. IBM is testing microprocessors using the new technology, and expects to deploy it in manufacturing lines in 2009. (photo)

Continue reading "IBM Advance To Make More Energy-Efficient Chips Possible" »

This is the last day of GridWeek. Denis Du Bois is hosting a daily podcast series featuring the top speakers at the conference. Today he interviews Kurt Yeager, Executive Director of the Galvin Electricity Initiative, and Volker Hartkopf, Director of the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics at Carnegie Mellon University. (podcast)

Continue reading "GridWeek 2007: Buildings and the Future of Electricity" »

This morning marks the halfway point for GridWeek. Denis Du Bois is hosting a daily podcast series featuring the top speakers at the conference. Today he interviews four presenters, including the head of the North American Energy Reliability Council. (podcast)

Continue reading "GridWeek 2007: Balancing Innovation and Regulation -- Interview with NERC President Rick Sergel" »

Day two of GridWeek is devoted entirely to the topic of demand response. Denis Du Bois is hosting a daily podcast series featuring the top speakers at the conference. Today he interviews the DOE's Director of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Kevin Kolevar, one of today's keynote speakers. (podcast)

Continue reading "GridWeek 2007: Interview with Kevin Kolevar, Director of the DOE's Office of Electricity" »

The first annual GridWeek kicks off today in Washington DC. Energy Priorities editor Denis Du Bois is hosting a daily podcast series featuring the top speakers at the conference. Today he interviews Erich Gunther, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of EnerNex Corporation. (podcast)

Continue reading "GridWeek 2007: Interview with EnerNex CTO Erich Gunther" »

Happy Birthday, Energy Priorities!

On Earth Day 2004, Energy Priorities Magazine became one of a very few voices talking to business leaders about energy issues with bottom-line sensibility. On the magazine's third birthday, founder Denis Du Bois notes how much has changed in a short time -- and how far we have yet to go.

Continue reading "Magazine Talks to Top-Level Business Leaders with Bottom-Line Sensibility about Energy" »

When you decide to put a solar power system on the roof of your building, the next question is, "what kind?" There are conventional silicon modules, a technology that hasn't changed dramatically since the first lunar landing. There are thin film solar sheets that add a layer of protection and insulation to the roof, while they generate power -- although not as efficiently. Soliant Energy is working on a form of concentrating solar technology for commercial rooftops. Energy Priorities interviews CEO Brad Hines. (podcast) (photo)

Continue reading "Soliant Energy Targets Commercial Rooftops with its Concentrating Solar Platform" »

These days even the war on the environment is going badly. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled twice this week on carbon emissions cases that will affect businesses worldwide.

Continue reading "Supreme Court Decision Reaches Beyond Tailpipes and Power Plants" »

Demand management vendors have traditionally specialized in either industrial or commercial spaces. That means few choices for industrial sites that want to automate their entire facility using a centralized system. A recent merger could eventually result in a new system that can manage both plants and offices. Will it have enough of an advantage over integrating multi-vendor systems?

Continue reading "Demand Management Technology Has Cross-Atlantic Reunion" »

Demand response is catching on around the world as a means of reducing the need for new power plant construction, lowering wholesale power costs, and cutting harmful emissions. It can also be a source of revenue for participating companies. If demand response is going to be part of your energy cost management strategy, then you have some options for how you go about it. (podcast)

Continue reading "Getting Started with Demand Response" »

Demand response has been around for many years, but it still hasn't caught on at a national level here in the US. Participants still are pioneers -- they need a willingness to wade through the options and paperwork, not to mention dealing with immature technologies and managing their programs with sketchy data.

When will demand response become a mainstream resource? I went to America's most progressive state for demand response, and asked the top regulator and top grid operator to get specific about when demand response will be commonplace. (podcast)

Continue reading "When Will Demand Response Be as Accepted as Daylight Savings Time?" »

In the dot-com boom, cities and states did their best to attract internet companies. Now that we're in the watt-com boom, it seems like every locality's economic development office is trying to attract renewable-energy businesses to their region. To me, it makes a statement about renewable energy's status as a sector, and about government leaders' expectations for the long-term growth of the industry. I interviewed some regional representatives at the Power-Gen Renewable Energy and Fuels 2007 conference. (podcast)(photo)

Continue reading "Marketing Regions To Attract Energy Companies, Customers" »

California's big three utilities have 2,660 MW of demand response enrolled, ahead of the regulators' policy goal for next summer. Enrollment is not the same as participation. Do companies have enough price elasticity to participate? If so, is demand response cost-effective for utilities? Can participating companies recover the cost of the necessary equipment? Who pays the price?

Blogged live from a meeting entitled "Demand Response: Simple Solutions, Real Savings, Fast Payback," this article grew as the meeting proceeded. It's still in its rough form, but nonetheless full of interesting information and perspectives. I invited readers to post questions using the comments form at the bottom of this article, and I posed some of them to the speakers and panelists.

Continue reading "Demand Response: Experts and Businesses Discuss the Challenges Ahead" »

Interview with Peter Fusaro, the founder of Global Change Associates, an energy and environmental advisory, and the author of "What Went Wrong at Enron." (podcast)

Continue reading "Will 2007 Be the Year for U.S. Carbon Legislation?" »

Life is good for renewable energy companies, but sustained success will require a sustained commitment, says National Renewable Energy Lab director Dan Arvizu. He spoke at the Power-Gen Renewable Energy and Fuels 2007 conference in Las Vegas Nevada last week. Here are the highlights of his keynote address. (podcast) (photo)

Continue reading "NREL Leader Urges Investing with the Long View to Sustain Renewable Industry's Growth" »

Building owners are looking for new ways to squeeze more energy efficiency out of their commercial facilities, and one of the largest opportunities is in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Jim Hanna of Optimum Energy explains how the company's control technology makes commercial air conditioners more energy efficient. (podcast) (photo)

Continue reading "Slow Down and Keep Cool: Technology Fine-Tunes Chiller Speeds to Cut Air Conditioning Costs" »

Checking in on a solar array from the office is an intriguing thought for a solar homeowner. But there's a more serious and practical side to monitoring renewable energy systems for businesses, who are demanding accountability from solar installers and integrators. (podcast) (photo)

Continue reading "Monitoring Solar Energy for Fun and Profit: Fat Spaniel's "PV2Web" Displays Real-Time Status" »

In many regions of the U.S., utilities are feeling the heat. Peak power demand threatens their ability to deliver as much energy as customers need on hot afternoons. Ice storage air conditioning shifts a major commercial energy load into off-peak evening hours, saving money for businesses and reducing pressure on the grid. California's new building energy code makes load shifting a necessity for many new facilities. (podcast) (photo)

Continue reading "Ice Energy's "Ice Bear" Keeps Off-Peak Kilowatts in Cold Storage to Reduce HVAC's Peak Power Costs" »

A San Jose company is boasting the largest intelligent metering infrastructure -- and it's in Sweden. Vattenfall AB has ordered 500,000 units from Echelon, and eventually could deploy automated meter reading equipment and software to three-fourths of its one million customers.

Continue reading "European Utility Expands its Echelon Automated Metering Infrastructure" »

Vodafone Fiji is expanding mobile phone coverage to the outer Fiji islands, relying on renewable power sources to power its stations in off-grid regions. Engineers keep an eye on the newest site via a remote monitoring system from Fat Spaniel Technologies.

Continue reading "Engineers Remotely Monitor Solar at Fiji Mountaintop Cell Tower" »

Saturday, December 16. Eight shopping days until Christmas, and retailers are closed. Energy Priorities is running on generator and internet dial-up. Utilities say it could be five days before power is restored to most of their customers. What is the cost of a severe blackout?

Continue reading "Seattle Is Dark" »

GREENBUILD -- This is a conference about sustainable building. The host, the US Green Building Council, is an environmental organization with a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better building practices.

At the heart of this mission is energy efficiency. EP went last week to find out whether energy is of interest to LEED architects and builders. It is. Here's our perspective on the conference and expo. (photos)

Continue reading "Greenbuild 2006: Energy in the Spotlight" »

Boise Idaho, Portland Oregon, and the Puget Sound area each saluted the winners of the 2006 BetterBricks Awards last month. Rather than granting awards to projects, the BetterBricks Awards recognize the people behind each region's high-performance commercial buildings, with a special emphasis on energy efficiency.

Continue reading "Gerding Edlen, Russell, Unico Honored for Sustainable Buildings with BetterBricks Awards" »

GREENBUILD -- William McDonough was a keynote speaker at the Greenbuild 2006 conference last week. The renowned sustainability advisor and author of "Cradle to Cradle" plans to stop public speaking for a year while he works on his research. He talked impromptu for about an hour, showing many excellent slides and his trademark cynicism about the human condition.

Continue reading "William McDonough Keynote "Something Lived, Something Dreamed" at Greenbuild" »

GREENBUILD -- Building-integrated solar, or BIPV, has caught attendees' attention at the Greenbuild 2006 Conference and Expo. Open Energy, a relatively new company in the space, is exhibiting three types of BIPV for roofs and windows. Their solar building materials are of particular interest to the large audience of LEED-accredited architects here. Open Energy's Howard Gomes talks with us about their products and the return on investment in various parts of the U.S. and the world. (podcast) (photos)

Continue reading "Open Energy's Solar Building Materials Draw Crowds at Greenbuild" »

GREENBUILD -- Hear what's now and what's next from Lutron, makers of commercial lighting control systems. Lutron is showing their EcoSystem lighting control system at Greenbuild 2006, together with new automated shading and a wall control unit. (podcast)

Continue reading "Lutron Shows Lighting Control and Shading Systems at Greenbuild" »

GREENBUILD-- Interview with John Langdon of HelioVolt, a maker of solar power products that use no silicon. He talks about the applications of the company's photovoltaics for commercial buildings, and the economics of designing solar into a structure. Hear what's now and what's next from this innovative renewable energy company, with a prediction for the future of solar technologies. (podcast)

Continue reading "HelioVolt's No-Silicon Solar Technology -- The Future of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics?" »

GREENBUILD -- US Green Building Council's CEO Rick Fedrizzi announced several pending changes to the LEED standard at this year's Greenbuild Conference and Expo. Fedrizzi announced that LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards created by the USGBC, will encourage more builders to strive for LEED certification and to maintain higher standards after they are certified. Several other announcements were interspersed with presentations from organizations that partner or collaborate with USGBC to reduce the risk of climate change through green building. (podcast)

Continue reading "LEED Council's CEO Announces Changes at Greenbuild 2006" »

A new venture fund partners with institutional investors, project developers, and customers to build distributed clean energy generation plants and to sell the electricity and renewable energy credits to the host site under a power purchase agreement.

Continue reading "Solar Project Finance Opens Up to Institutional Investors" »

Commercial insurers are offering green building credits and incentives for investing in renewable energy, while opting not to renew policies with global-warming risks. Are they doing it to tackle the causes of rising weather-related losses, or are they using climate change as a way to raise their rates and dump their most risky customers?

Continue reading "Insurance Industry Puts Premium on Green Building" »

Super-efficient buildings can cut costs and carbon, generating generous goodwill -- but can owners justify the price? An MIT Enterprise Forum event scheduled for 8 November 2006 in Bellevue WA will explore this subject. Panelists represent building owners, energy efficiency experts, commercial lenders, and researchers.

Note: The event has taken place. This article includes a link to an audio recording.

Continue reading "Puget Sound Hosts MIT Forum on High Performance Buildings" »

The photovoltaics industry's biggest U.S. conference is happening this week in San Jose, CA. Having reached a modest level of maturity, the sector is facing a new array of challenges. What issues stand in the way of widespread success, and what are industry leaders doing about them?

Continue reading "Solar Power 2006 Rallies Vendors, Enthusiasts to Address Industry Challenges" »

SEATTLE -- One of the highlights of today's "Investing in Clean Energy for the Pacific Northwest" is the panel of venture capitalists. The GP panel is a Who's Who of energy VCs. What attracted them to energy? Is it to make money, or to save the environment? What sets casual funds apart from serious players? How do strategic investors and public policy affect investments?

Continue reading "What do VCs Look for in Clean Energy Companies?" »

Mosier Creek Homes are expected to produce about 40 percent of their energy needs through renewable solar energy. The developer found an innovative way to make solar work out financially. Instead of tapping residential solar tax credits, he set up a solar energy business -- and qualified for incentives equal to 70 percent of the cost. The townhomes will sell at a premium, and owners will pay the developer for their solar power.

Continue reading "Builder Expands Solar Incentives by Creating a Renewable Energy Business" »

“With the rising buzz about clean energy, this is the perfect time to help forge productive partnerships. And the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place to do it.” --Bill Holmes, chair of the Stoel Rives Energy and Telecommunications practice group, remarking on an October 4, 2006, conference in Seattle. The event will bring together authorities on clean energy investment trends and will focus on the intersection of clean energy, private investment and public policy in the Pacific Northwest.

Continue reading "Conference on Investing in Clean Energy Will Focus on Pacific Northwest as Hub" »

The focus for BuilConn 2006 was the convergence of building controls systems. Ideas about the connectivity of embedded intelligence are starting to jell. A holistic view of a building's networks may be the next big step toward energy savings. In this view, thousands of devices start talking to each other. Can they turn the whole building into a unified energy management application that can respond to price signals from a utility? It's already being done. With rising demand charges, and real-time pricing, the possibilities are intriguing. Even tenants are looking more closely at energy as part of the cost of a lease.

Continue reading "BuilConn 2006 Brings Value of Connectivity to Light" »

The possibilities for building-integrated photovoltaics are about to get much more interesting. Future buildings, even some in design today, could use a new, semi-transparent solar glass. Thin-film solar technologies may eventually make it practical for the entire building envelope to generate power.

Continue reading "Thin Film Could Soon Make Solar Glass and Facades a Practical Power Source" »

The Washington Technology Center presented its annual Washington State Technology Summit on April 28, 2006. The common themes were education, competitiveness, and awareness. The renewable energy track, focusing primarily on biofuels, was very well-attended.

Continue reading "Washington State Technology Summit Highlights Need for Education, Awareness" »

What's the relationship between smart grids and smart buildings? The answer, today, is that there isn't much of a relationship between the electric grid and the systems that manage building energy consumption. GridWise is changing that, and forces are coming together to accelerate the shift.

Continue reading "Smart Buildings, Smart Grids Connect to Control Cost, Quality of Commercial Power" »

To understand the problem of grid constraints, imagine you're an ice cream maker. It's a hot summer afternoon and you get orders for every last gallon of your cold treats. Now imagine your delivery trucks get caught in a traffic jam in your own shipping yard. You have perishing products, complaining customers, and a retailer revolt -- not to mention the mess. Peak demand management is like keeping your customers from placing their orders all at once.

Continue reading "Demand-Side Management Technology Avoids Grid Construction for Bonneville Power (Case Study)" »

Online magazine separates reality from hype in leading-edge energy technologies for commercial and industrial users.

Continue reading "Energy Priorities Turns Two on Earth Day" »

The third annual PowerGen Renewable Energy conference in Las Vegas offered 28 seminars. But the trade show floor was just as interesting. (podcast)

Continue reading "Power-Gen Renewable Energy Expo 2006 Audio Tour" »

Power-Gen RE 2006 -- The Energy Policy Act of 2005 has several provisions to encourage investment in distributed generation and other uses of solar energy for commercial, industrial and residential projects. It extends a business tax credit, creates a residential tax credit, among other measures. In addition to these federal incentives, some states are responding with changes to their own incentives, and others are considering new programs.

Continue reading "Guide to On-Site Renewable Energy Incentives in the Energy Policy Act" »

Power-Gen RE 2006 -- In the opening keynote session at Power-Gen Renewable Energy & Fuels, industry leaders focused on the prospects and challenges for the renewable energy sector in the United States. They represented companies spanning all major forms of utility-scale renewable energy power generation. Many of the speakers highlighted the shortcomings of U.S. energy policy and legislation.

Continue reading "Industry Leaders Outline Renewable Energy Challenges" »

The technologies of building automation and computer networks are getting more serious about converging. Companies are starting to articulate the technology strategies they hope will keep them on the leading edge. Some strategies include IP networking, which brings with it myriad other information technologies. What are the possibilities and pitfalls?

Continue reading "Building Control and Data Technologies Show Signs of Convergence" »

Private investment in "clean tech" -- primarily renewable energy technologies -- is climbing, while some of the funded companies are making headlines with their initial public stock offerings. Meanwhile the oil president puts on a green face, which puts smiles on the faces of biofuels producers and feedstock growers. Where does it all lead? An analyst report released today by Clean Edge examines factors the firm believes are influencing clean-energy market growth, and offers forecasts of coming trends.

Continue reading "Report Tracks Five Key Trends in Clean Tech Market Growth" »

When power prices are volatile or supplies are short, reducing peak loads becomes a top priority for utilities. Billing customers for energy based on the time of day has proven to be a viable means for reducing peak loads. This case study examines one of the first field trials of time-of-use tariffs and automated meter reading technologies, how they worked, the results, and why the program ended abruptly.

Continue reading "Time of Use Electricity Billing: How Puget Sound Energy Reduced Peak Power Demands (Case Study)" »

The State of the Union Address surprised many observers with its focus on renewable fuels. How will this seemingly sudden policy change -- and policy in general -- affect the business plans of companies in the renewable energy sector? Three experts discussed the topic at the Clean Tech Investor Summit.

Continue reading "Energy Policy: Shifting Landscape for Clean Tech Startups" »

BuilConn Americas 2006 is scheduled for May 16-18 in Palm Springs, California. This year BuilConn shifts its focus to IP centric systems and the convergence of building automation and the IT world.

Continue reading "BuilConn 2006 To Focus on IP Centric Building Systems" »

California is a model for the rest of the United States in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. Energy Commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld shared some of the state's experiences with an audience of investors at the Clean Tech Investor Summit.

Continue reading "California Energy Commissioner Recommends Investing in Efficiency" »

Clean Tech Investor Summit conference chairman Ira Ehrenpreis kicked off the event with his perspective on why clean tech investing is suddenly gaining momentum.

Continue reading "Clean Tech Turning Corner, Says Investor Summit Leader" »

President Bush renewed his call for building new nuclear power plants in the US, and gave highlights of his plan for displacing petroleum fuels with biofuels, in his State of the Union Address today

Continue reading "Bush State of Union Address Renews Focus on Energy with Biofuels Emphasis" »

Summit scheduled for Feb. 1-2, 2006, in Rancho Mirage, CA, brings together venture and private equity investors, corporate executives, entrepreneurs and other industry players.

Continue reading "Clean Tech Investor Summit Draws Investors, Entrepreneurs" »

What do you get when you put venture capitalists, environmentalists, farm-district politicians, biofuels producers, and a petroleum distributor, all in one room? Sounds like trouble, but these people gathered to support an initiative that may come before the Washington state legislature in 2006. (with podcast)

Continue reading "State Legislators Propose a Renewable Fuels Standard for Washington" »

The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory launched two demonstration projects to test new technologies designed to help energy users make smarter energy choices, and to help prevent power blackouts. (with podcast)

Continue reading "GridWise Initiative to Demonstrate New Electric Grid Technologies" »

Employee collaboration was a central goal for the MITRE Center building -- and its planners started the collaboration with the design process. Owners, builders, architects and vendors worked together to craft a sustainable design. This LEED Silver candidate's "green" elements create a synergy that brings together energy efficiency and comfort. Financial incentive programs worked in unison to support the integration of renewable energy into the building. Photos.

Continue reading "Solar Power Outside Promotes Collaboration Inside MITRE Center - Case Study" »

Hurricane Katrina is likely to destroy more structures than any other natural disaster in history. Utilities in her path are struggling to restore their conventional hub-and-spoke electric distribution grids. If an expected quarter-million small businesses and residences are to be bulldozed, why not build solar-powered structures in their place using sustainable building materials and techniques? Why not rebuild the power grid wisely, too?

Continue reading "After Katrina: Let's Rebuild Green" »

Building-integrated solar glass generates electricity, often qualifies for financial incentives, and has the uniqueness of custom glazing that generates electricity. (Photos)

Continue reading "Building-Integrated Solar Glass in a Nutshell" »

Energy technology event brought together entrepreneurs, utilities, investors, research organizations, academia, and government involved with the region's emerging energy sector.

Continue reading "Northwest Energy Symposium Highlights Technologies, Companies, Strategies" »

The overcast Pacific Northwest is an unlikely region for solar-powered lighting to proliferate, but the transit authorities in several Northwest cities have installed lighted bus stops that are powered solely by the elusive sun. Photos.

Continue reading "Solar Transit Lighting Shines in the Cloudy Pacific Northwest - Case Study" »

An emerging revolution in electricity transmission and distribution holds tremendous potential for the U.S. economy, and for the Pacific Northwest, according to a new report by Washington-based Climate Solutions.

Continue reading "New Report Calls for Northwest to Accelerate the Smart Grid" »

A fusion reactor could, within 30-40 years, harness the hydrogen power of the stars. An international agreement to build the first such facility has scintillated the scientific community and roused the rage of environmentalists. Successful fusion experiments could lead to a clean, safe, unlimited power source. Not everyone is convinced that it's possible, or a good idea.

Continue reading "ITER is First of a Breed of Fusion Reactors that Could Produce Power without Nuclear's Risks" »

Starbucks Coffee Company committed recently to purchase wind power to offset a portion of the energy used in its operations. The commitment puts the company in the top 25 U.S. purchasers of renewable energy. Mitigating climate change is the driver behind Starbucks' decision to buy renewable energy certificates, which allow any size company to support renewable energy.

Continue reading "Starbucks Buys Wind Power to Reduce Climate Impact - Case Study" »

Green tags, also known as renewable energy certificates (RECs), are sold to support the production of renewable energy. Green tags offset higher production costs of generating power from wind, solar, and other renewable sources. They place a financial value on environmental and social benefits, separate from the market value of the kilowatt hours produced. The concept of tradable renewable energy certificates is central to Europe's strategy to comply with the Kyoto Protocol.

Continue reading "Green Tags in a Nutshell" »

The clock is ticking on government funding for energy-related investments by rural businesses. Grants and loan guarantees are available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but their deadlines for the year are approaching quickly.

Continue reading "Renewable Energy Grant Funds from USDA about to Expire" »

President Bush spoke to an audience of small-business leaders and took the opportunity to promote a comprehensive energy policy that includes the Nuclear Power 2010 and Clear Skies initiatives. In a speech that focused on petroleum, some other sources of energy -- hydrogen, wind, and energy efficiency -- also earned mentions.

Continue reading "Bush Talks of Energy Technology at Small Business Conference" »

The U.S. House of Representatives hurried to approve an energy bill this week, just in time to make Earth Day news coverage. It passed a bill that would open ANWR to oil drilling and continue billions in benefits to energy industries. But could this bill reduce the nation's hunger for electricity and thirst for oil?

Continue reading "Earth Day Is a Good PR Day for Politicians: Energy Bill Passes House" »

Continue reading "Konarka Technologies Is Changing How Solar Power Is Made and Used" »

"Demand for electricity has grown more than 17 percent in the past decade," President Bush said in his weekly radio address, "and we continue to import more than one-half of our domestic oil supply." The address reiterated the administration's attention to energy, as Congress begins this week to debate national energy policy legislation.

Continue reading "Bush Uses Radio Address to Urge Congress to Pass an Energy Bill" »

A builder decides not only to build green, but to capture the construction process on video. The result is a DVD that documents his experiments so others can see how it was done and what works. The "hybrid home" combines conventional and alternative building materials and techniques. The producer, a sustainable-building consultant, hopes to package the lessons from more projects like this in a format that lets others gain confidence in green building. The video shows actual techniques and materials, and shares advice and lessons learned. After living in the home for four years, the man behind the project recently shared more of his insights and plans in an interview with Energy Priorities. (Photos)

Continue reading ""Building with Awareness" DVD Documents the Construction of a Hybrid Structure" »

Washington's state legislature passed a bill requiring public buildings to meet LEED Silver standards. Scottsdale's mayor announced a resolution requiring city buildings to meet LEED Gold standards. Both are firsts for government-mandated green building.

Continue reading "Olympia and Scottsdale Take the LEED on Public Building Standards" »

The 2005 Built Green Conference at Seattle Center attracted homebuilders enthusiastic about designing and constructing sustainable, energy-efficient homes for a fair profit. The recurring energy theme at this second-annual conference was "embodied energy." Seminars and workshops gave attendees practical exposure to sustainable-building concepts.

Continue reading "Built Green Conference Combines Efficiency, Economics, Environmental Responsibility" »

Maxwell takes the "interrupt" out of "uninterruptible" and takes batteries out of the data center. PowerCache was recently named a Best Product of the Year by a mechanical design magazine. The product bridges momentary outages while a longer-term backup power source starts up. Ideal for medical, industrial, telecom and enterprise VoIP environments where continuous electric power is mission critical.

Continue reading "Maxwell's Backup Capacitors Bridge Power Outages for Telecom, Other Critical Uses" »

France gets the majority of its power from nuclear plants. Parliament issued a report in March, 2005, on the problem of France's radioactive waste. Its recommendations confirm the status quo: waste storage and decontamination research.

Continue reading "Vive la Nucleair Waste: France Deals with Legacies of its Nuclear Programs" »

Three VC firms will manage investments for the California Clean Energy Fund. With matching funds, the potential investments could total US$47 million. CalCEF's investment strategy will focus exclusively on clean energy, including renewables, energy efficiency, energy storage, and enabling technologies and services.

Continue reading "Clean Energy Industry Anticipates $47 Million in Investments from CalCEF" »

President Bush spoke in Columbus, Ohio to promote his proposed energy plan. He discussed each of the cornerstones of the plan -- increasing conservation and efficiency, increasing domestic production, diversifying the energy supply, and modernizing the grid. He also discussed his contingency plan for the stalled Clear Skies Initiative.

Continue reading "White House Signals Renewed Interest in Energy Policy" »

The president visited Columbus, Ohio to promote his energy policy and see developments toward energy efficiency, grid technology, nuclear energy and cleaner coal.

Continue reading "Bush Views Energy Innovations During Visit to Lab" »

Solar energy will help to power a cultural center and three other facilities. The combined 3.1 megawatt project is scheduled to come online in 2006.

Continue reading "Las Vegas Valley Water District Plans a 3.1 MW Solar Project" »

Dr. Dan Arvizu, the new Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, presented a challenge in his keynote address to an audience of energy industry professionals at the second annual Power-Gen Renewable Energy Conference.

Continue reading "NREL Director Challenges Renewables Industry To Find its Flagship" »

The second annual Power-Gen Renewable Energy Conference was held in Las Vegas March 1-3, 2005. The exhibit hall was busy, the sessions well attended, and the hallway discussions lively.

Continue reading "Power-Gen Renewable Energy Conference 2005 Report" »

UK renewable energy companies have been meeting with counterparts at Power-Gen RE and at meetings in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. Their goal is to establish relationships and build awareness.

Continue reading "UK Trade Mission Wraps Up Western Tour in Portland" »

The pending Energy Policy Act of 2005 will have positive and negative effects on energy businesses. Tax incentives are one way the government helps cover the financial risk of technological innovation. The passing of incentives has an economic impact on specific industry sectors. Subsidized electricity from renewable sources are more closely cost-competitive with power from subsidized coal and natural gas, but still more expensive. Clean coal technologies and nuclear power are part of a complex web of history, regulation and politics.

Continue reading "2005 Energy Bill: Businesses Are Watching Closely" »

With 386 megawatts of installed capacity, France remains one of the smallest wind energy producers in Europe. The industry was given a boost by an electricity feed-in tariff law passed in 2001. Wind capacity in France has more than doubled since the law was passed. The most recent development is an announcement by Boralex of its plans to construct two new wind energy production sites with a total capacity of 57 MW.

Continue reading "France Wind Capacity Has Doubled Since 2001 Tariff Law Passed" »

Mario Andretti didn't set any land speed records on his way to the opening of the new hydrogen fueling station in Chino, California today. He was driving a Hundai Tucson hydrogen fuel cell electric test vehicle.

Continue reading "Hydrogen fueling station opened in California" »

Discussion of energy policy legislation is due to start in February, 2005. The Senate's version is the likely starting point for discussions. How can four years of strong disagreement give way to a balanced energy plan? Two broad approaches have become clear. Whether either approach will lead to a successful policy is yet to be seen.

Continue reading "Energy Policy: Outlook for Compromise" »

Congress is working on energy policy legislation that will affect American businesses for at least the next decade. The contentious round of debate has lasted almost four years, so far. National energy policy primarily concerns itself with petroleum and related emissions. Electricity is bundled into the discussion as an afterthought. Recent events have thrust electric power into the limelight for the upcoming debate.

Continue reading "Energy Policy Legislation: Better Luck This Time" »

What are the top five actions that your business can take in 2005 to become a more responsible energy user and take us closer to a clean and sustainable energy future? EP gathered ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs and investors to compile this year's business energy priorities. Here they are, in priority order.

Continue reading "2005 Energy Priorities" »

The electric utility industry may play a role in breaking the broadband barrier in the US. Rural businesses and communities are the last to get broadband, mostly due to sparse populations and price sensitivity. Now there may be an interesting alternative for high-speed internet connections: Broadband delivered via the electricity distribution infrastructure.

Continue reading "Broadband over Powerlines May Rescue Stranded Organizations" »

Customers with broadband over powerlines (BPL) can get high-speed internet connections through their electrical outlets, without any special installation or wiring. It is faster and cheaper to deploy than most other forms of broadband networks.

Continue reading "Broadband over Powerlines (BPL) in a Nutshell" »

Continue reading "Fuel Cells in a Nutshell" »

"Energy efficiency and renewable energy are our future, and the time to seize that future is now," said Washington state senator Karen Fraser, opening a half-day forum on shaping her state's energy future.

Washington isn't the only state vying for a leadership position in renewable energy. Several US states are well organized behind similar initiatives, as are Germany, Norway and others. In fact, Washington is more than a bit behind its competitors, but has some attractive features.

Continue reading "Washington State Renewable Energy Forum Calls for Long-Term Strategy" »

Energy entrepreneurs need more than money and general management advice from their investors. A few venture investors offer valuable expertise and resources to their portfolio companies. As the corporate venture arm of Groupe Electricité de France (EDF), Easenergy has access to a wealth of technical expertise, partners and markets. The venture has found a creative "sweat-equity" method of leveraging these resources for their portfolio companies.

Continue reading "Easenergy Investments Balance Financial, Non-Financial Goals - Case Study" »

Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) technology uses one form of renewable geothermal energy to supplement or replace conventional heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Continue reading "Geothermal Heat Pumps in a Nutshell" »

Between the Energy Venture Fair and the Cleantech Venture Forum one could easily conclude that venture capitalists are taking an interest in the energy sector. Actually, they are. Investment in the sector is at an all-time high.

The energy technology industry needs venture capital investors who provide expertise and resources, not just money. As competition for deal flow increases, the successful firms will differentiate themselves with this brand of commitment.

Continue reading "VCs: Don't Just Show Me the Money" »

"Energy reliability" is a subjective term. Until the digital age, 99 percent reliable centralized generation was sufficient. Business reliance on voice and data networks and precision manufacturing processes have given "reliability" a new meaning. That hundredth percentage point is the most costly to achieve.

Distributed generation is a logical means of providing high levels of reliability to those who need it, without incurring the public capital outlay of providing it to everyone. As businesses consider making their own electricity, they should take into account a triad of interrelated technologies -- distributed generation, demand management, and alternative energy -- that will be inseparable for years to come.

Continue reading "Distributed Generation's Technology Threesome" »

Distributed generation (DG) is an alternative approach to supplying electricity. Instead of building centralized power plants, the power is generated from smaller plants that are geographically dispersed.

Continue reading "Distributed Generation in a Nutshell" »

MIT Enterprise Forum presented another outstanding program on smart energy -- "Business Opportunities in the New Energy Economy" in Bellevue, Washington on October 13, 2004. Whereas last year's program focused on the grid, this year's discussion concentrated on the supply side and alternative sources of energy. The conversation ranged from problems and predictions to risks and advice regarding energy entrepreneurship.

Continue reading "Business Opportunities in the New Energy Economy" »

Demand response is in its infancy. Even though it depends on regulators and utilities changing their ways, growth in demand response (DR) could happen faster than seems likely.

When that tipping point comes, some businesses will discover internal barriers to participation. Businesses who are prepared to implement DR will benefit in ways that won't be available to later adopters.

Continue reading "Demand Response: Risks, Rewards for Early Adopters" »

In demand response (DR), electricity customers reduce their consumption at critical times. This is different from energy efficiency, which is performing the same services but using less power. In demand response, customers shed loads in response to a demand from the utility. Services (lights, machines, air conditioning) are cut back for a few hours or a day at a time.

Continue reading "Demand Response in a Nutshell" »

In the late 1800s, America began building its electric infrastructure. Large centralized generation, coal-fired power plants, wires crisscrossing the landscape, this was the state of the art a hundred years ago -- and we're still using it today.

Our 19th-century model has its share of 21st-century problems. Blackouts, scandals, pollution and high capital expenditures are among them.

Continue reading "Smart Energy -- What's the Big Deal?" »

Case study of building a solar power system for an off-grid home, as told from first-hand experience by our Editor. He talks about the decision to go solar, how the system works, and what it cost. Photos.

Continue reading "Off-Grid Solar Powered Home: The PV System" »

Which large-scale generation technologies will be the first to achieve widespread adoption and displace fossil fuels?

If we listen to the utility industry, we'll be using coal and natural gas to generate our electricity for decades to come. Their perspective isn't centered solely in conservatism and a vested interest in the status quo.

Continue reading "Large-Scale Alternative Energy Sources: Which Ones, and How Soon?" »

Your business runs on energy from coal, most likely. And you can take steps today to make that energy clean and plentiful, without large capital expenditures.

Continue reading "Coal Energy Is Green, Clean and Plentiful...?!" »

Here's a company that's not exactly "smart energy" related, but they're certainly energy related, and smart enough to attract venture capital and a high-profile CEO. This news is included on EnergyPriorities because it's promising, for three reasons.

Continue reading "Allconnect Commitments Promising" »

Seattle's order for hybrid buses isn't big environmental news (Seattle has had 200+ diesel-electrics in service for a decade, saving fuel and reducing pollution), but the purchase is the subject of a big ad campaign by the drivetrain manufacturer, GM.

Continue reading "Hyping Hybrid Buses in Seattle" »

Do you love your PC's power management function, or hate it? If you haven't grown impatient with ill-behaved hibernation and turned off your Windows power management, you're in the minority.

Power management is viewed as a disruption by users, and a nuisance by IT. Windows power features are meager, with no centralized control or reporting. That's why a handful of network power management tools are available to automate PC energy conservation across the enterprise. Is it worth the time to implement and manage them?

Continue reading "Enterprise Power Profiles: Sleep Tight, Windows" »

Market pressures are causing utilities to rethink how they manage field service. Is real-time wireless data connectivity a good automation strategy, or a colossal waste of money?

Next to the power our electric utilities produce, a field technician's time is their most perishable resource. Utilities are looking at wireless data -- connecting handheld computers to the main office over cellular phone networks -- as a possible way to meet tomorrow's service demands with today's staffing levels. What's the reality?

Continue reading "Wireless Data for Utility Field Service -- Good Strategy, or Colossal Waste of Money?" »