Driving Down Solar Costs: A 70% Reduction in 5 Years Launched by the Department of Energy in February 2011, the SunShot Initiative was designed to make solar energy cost-competitive by 2020. In 2010, the cost of one solar watt was $3.80. The SunShot project was attempting to reduce solar costs to $1 per… Continue reading “Driving Down Solar Costs: A 70% Reduction in 5 Years”
Key Application for Microgrids: Oil & Gas Pipeline Protection from Corrosion At first glance, it may seem as though the petro-chemical industry and the renewable energy industry are mutually exclusive. However, this is not the case. In fact, there are several areas where the former can benefit the latter. Of great significance,… Continue reading “Key Application for Microgrids: Oil & Gas Pipeline Protection from Corrosion”
Learn Infrared Imaging as a PV Characterization Tool for $30 Along with the increasing popularity of solar PV systems comes the need for high-quality operations and maintenance (O&M). This is an area that is often overlooked but has been gaining attention in recent years. In this lecture, Dr. James Rand… Continue reading “Learn Infrared Imaging as a PV Characterization Tool for $30”
Water in Sustainable Building: Distribution, Uses & “Zero Net” Strategies In this free course, sustainable building expert Ann Edminster discusses the uses of water in sustainable building practices. Enroll and learn about… -The distribution of water on Earth -How water gets to and leaves building sites -How water is used… Continue reading “Water in Sustainable Building: Distribution, Uses & “Zero Net” Strategies”
An Overview of Commercial and Industrial Fan Efficiency Fans are the last of the low-hanging efficiency fruit in HVAC and process applications. In this lecture, Wade Smith, former Executive Director of the Air Movement and Control Association, introduces critical concepts related to commercial and industrial fan efficiency and explains… Continue reading “An Overview of Commercial and Industrial Fan Efficiency”
62 Million People (& Counting!) Living in Places with 100% Renewable Energy Targets The idea of communities, cities, states, or countries being powered by 100% renewable energy used to be perceived as fantasy. Enter the Go 100% Renewable Energy Project, which aims to perpetuate the clean energy movement by creating a revolutionary online… Continue reading “62 Million People (& Counting!) Living in Places with 100% Renewable Energy Targets”
Three Big Energy Problems Microgrids Can Remedy The majority of us take our energy for granted, just like our air and water. But let’s take a closer look. Already under siege, our air and water are suffering from the effects of pollution and climate change. The good news… Continue reading “Three Big Energy Problems Microgrids Can Remedy”
Energy Models: Design Tools & Energy Use Simulators “What is an Energy Model?” In this brand new free course, P.E. and LEED Fellow Chris Schaffner explains. Chris describes a variety of methods for modeling building energy consumption. He starts with simple energy estimating tools of increasing complexity and… Continue reading “Energy Models: Design Tools & Energy Use Simulators”
Why We Haven’t Crossed the Chasm in Residential Solar & What to Do Just because we’re not shooting fish in a barrel doesn’t mean we’re moving past the late early majority, venturing into the mainstream, or “crossing the chasm” of residential solar. Since December 2015, I’ve been exploring the macro changes happening in… Continue reading “Why We Haven’t Crossed the Chasm in Residential Solar & What to Do”
Zero Energy Homes: Economics, Efficiency & Renewable Energy Integration What are Zero Energy Homes? How are they cost efficient and how do they help significantly lessen energy use? In this $30 course, sustainable building expert Ann Edminster has the answers. This course, designed as an introduction to all things Zero… Continue reading “Zero Energy Homes: Economics, Efficiency & Renewable Energy Integration”
Sustainable Brewing: A Small, Solar-Powered Company in the Business of Beer Throwback Brewery: where great beer, solar and sustainable business practices collide. In 2010, co-Founders Annette Lee and Nicole Carrier opened their brewery in North Hampton, New Hampshire with the vision to create 100% locally-sourced beers, as well as to promote other aspects of… Continue reading “Sustainable Brewing: A Small, Solar-Powered Company in the Business of Beer”
Meet Sustainable Scholar Andy Skumanich: Global Microgrid Expert & Solar Start-up Whiz A successful Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, Dr. Andy Skumanich is currently CEO and Founder of SolarVision Consulting, a boutique technology business development company whose technologists work on renewables and DG energy production projects. He also co-founded Advenira Enterprises, a start-up… Continue reading “Meet Sustainable Scholar Andy Skumanich: Global Microgrid Expert & Solar Start-up Whiz”
Community Solar Industry in MA at Risk Due to Regulatory Changes More and more people are interested in ‘going solar,’ but most people cannot put solar panels on their roof. Originally published on RenewableEnergyWorld.com Imagine this: you want to go solar, get an on-site assessment, and find out that your roof… Continue reading “Community Solar Industry in MA at Risk Due to Regulatory Changes”
John Siegenthaler Investigates: Low Ambient Air-to-Water Heat Pumps Low Ambient Air-to-Water Heat Pumps: An emerging renewable heat source for North American hydronic systems. Electrically powered heat pumps, in many varieties, are destined to play an increasingly important role in heating and cooling buildings around the world. Heat pumps capture… Continue reading “John Siegenthaler Investigates: Low Ambient Air-to-Water Heat Pumps”
Solar Power Ubiquity Through Training and Installing: GRID Alternatives GRID Alternatives is a national 501(c)(3) certified non-profit organization that facilitates solar power implementation and energy efficiency projects between community partners, volunteers and job trainees. Since it’s beginning in 2001, GRID Alternatives has installed over 24 megawatts of clean power, provided almost $200… Continue reading “Solar Power Ubiquity Through Training and Installing: GRID Alternatives”
Volta: A Start-Up Company Powering West Africa As the solar and clean energy industry grows, it’s no surprise that the target market for renewable energy technologies is now expanding to include developing communities and countries. In fact, a host of new start-ups and innovative business models are… Continue reading “Volta: A Start-Up Company Powering West Africa”
Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) Want complete building leak detection and measurement? Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) is one of the most powerful analysis tools available…. …and the calculation aid from Residential Energy Dynamics (RED) is the most accurate and easy to use ZPD tool available. This… Continue reading “Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD)”
NABCEP Entry Level Program Becomes Associate Program in August The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) recently notified training providers that its Entry Level Program will be undergoing some changes next month. The program will now be called the Associate Program, and continuing education will be required… Continue reading “NABCEP Entry Level Program Becomes Associate Program in August”
Rethinking the Global Economy with Sustainable Solutions In 2002, sustainable business guru and Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet” Hunter Lovins founded Natural Capitalism Solutions, an organization that helps communities, companies, and countries implement genuine sustainability solutions to change the way business is done worldwide. NCS is a… Continue reading “Rethinking the Global Economy with Sustainable Solutions”
Microgrids: Creation, Implementation and Finance/Policy Concerns HeatSpring is proud to announce our newest microgrid course: Microgrid Design & Implementation Microgrids are the future of energy production and distribution, but very few people understand how to create a successful microgrid. In this course, microgrid expert Dr. Andrew Skumanich… Continue reading “Microgrids: Creation, Implementation and Finance/Policy Concerns”