Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers Microgrids are an emerging technology with few real-world examples to study. This new short course, taught by Dr. Andy Skumanich, covers two real-world examples of microgrid solutions for major application segments: rural electrification and off-grid telecom tower power. These two segments… Continue reading “Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers”
The SunEdison Collapse & Today’s Solar Market It’s ugly out there. The folding of SunEdison has been a disaster for the industry. With the recent SolarCity announcement of Elon and the Rive Brothers using their cashed-in stock options to create a short term bond, what does this mean for an… Continue reading “The SunEdison Collapse & Today’s Solar Market”
Understanding Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Renewable Energy Systems show strong Returns on Investment (ROI) and energy storage appears to add to the benefits at the bottom line. Learn the elements of energy storage for residential and commercial clients with this introductory overview of the field,… Continue reading “Understanding Residential and Commercial Energy Storage”
Fostering Sustainability in Prisons + Reducing Emissions/Consumption How can prisons act as a catalyst for sustainability efforts? In 2003, Dan Pacholke, Superintendent of Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington, attempted to answer that question by implementing rainwater harvesting and composting measures designed to reduce waste, cut costs,… Continue reading “Fostering Sustainability in Prisons + Reducing Emissions/Consumption”
Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program — New, FREE Trainings! At HeatSpring, we’re no strangers to the amazing work of Glenna Wiseman at Identity3 and the Energy Trust of Oregon. That’s why we’ve decided to share the Build it Bright! Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program with our audience. This training series, facilitated… Continue reading “Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program — New, FREE Trainings!”
The ASES 2016 National Solar Tour From Maine to California, and almost everywhere in between, ASES’ 2016 National Solar Tour allows visitors to view over 35 solar energy sites across the United States The ASES National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots solar event in the nation,… Continue reading “The ASES 2016 National Solar Tour”
Deep Energy Retrofits for Historic Buildings Historic buildings are a special case in the world of Deep Energy Retrofits, as they bring additional constraints and special structural issues to the forefront. Still, bringing a beloved (but usually energy inefficient) community building into the resource climate of… Continue reading “Deep Energy Retrofits for Historic Buildings”
UW Greek Community Perpetuating College Sustainability Movement Officially launched in November 2015, the Green Greek Representative Program (GGRP) is a student-run program at the University of Washington working to make the Greek Community a more sustainable place. Working through UW EcoReps and supported by the UW Sustainability office,… Continue reading “UW Greek Community Perpetuating College Sustainability Movement”
Resilient Community Microgrids: An Introduction Learn about the potential of community microgrids in this new short course. Microgrid Institute Director Michael Burr provides a comprehensive introduction to how community microgrids work, what problems they can solve, and how market trends are driving microgrid development, in… Continue reading “Resilient Community Microgrids: An Introduction”
Data Center Essentials for Executives: A Beginner’s Guide In the 21st century, all companies are information technology (IT) companies… most just don’t know it yet. Jon Koomey helps executives modernize their IT organizations to speed up innovation, reduce costs, and increase revenues in his Data Center Essentials for… Continue reading “Data Center Essentials for Executives: A Beginner’s Guide”
Deep Boreholes in GSHP Systems: Pressure Considerations & Installation Practices Factors such as space limitations are forcing engineers to utilize deep boreholes to meet design requirements for Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems. In such cases, hydrostatic pressures must be considered to ensure successful installation can take place. This short… Continue reading “Deep Boreholes in GSHP Systems: Pressure Considerations & Installation Practices”
Selling Home Performance: 4 Traps to Avoid You want the sale. We all want the sale! Maybe you’re very hungry to post some numbers or push to hit the plan. That’s OK. But don’t let that get in the way of good approaches… THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN… Continue reading “Selling Home Performance: 4 Traps to Avoid”
Amassing & Analyzing Zero Energy Building Data Many believe that the future of net-zero energy is already here. At the forefront, the Net-Zero Energy Coalition is not only leading the movement, but also creating what their team refers to as “The Hub,” a place where all-things-Zero-Energy (ZNE) can… Continue reading “Amassing & Analyzing Zero Energy Building Data”
NEW Corporate Renewable Energy Purchasing Training Many U.S. companies are seeking to purchase renewable energy… Major potential benefits include securing long term energy supplies; substantial cost savings; reduced price volatility; compliance with government regulations and reporting requirements; achieving corporate sustainability goals; and general brand enhancement. These… Continue reading “NEW Corporate Renewable Energy Purchasing Training”
Geothermal HVAC Design: From Building Loads to Bore Field Design Learn geothermal HVAC design fundamentals, with emphasis on building load (residential, commercial and institutional) development, leading to bore field specification. Watch Al’s lectures (one introductory, the other highly technical), and download a Geothermal HVAC Design Performance Simulator excel file in… Continue reading “Geothermal HVAC Design: From Building Loads to Bore Field Design”
GRID Alternatives’ International Program Expands to Nepal In July, HeatSpring published a Sustainable Women Series article featuring the Founder and CEO of GRID Alternatives, a national non-profit that facilitates affordable solar power projects, oftentimes in low-income communities. In this follow-up article, I spoke with Jenean Smith, the… Continue reading “GRID Alternatives’ International Program Expands to Nepal”
Meet Solar Research Pro Paula Mints What do Australia, Indian Lands, and women’s shelters have in common…? While it may sound like the start of a bad joke, there’s actually a great – and lucrative – answer: solar power potential and solar market opportunities abound in… Continue reading “Meet Solar Research Pro Paula Mints”
Building Automation Systems and Open Building Systems: Design Specs Building Automation Systems (BAS) specifications are a required piece of any building construction, upgrade or retrofit project. Learn about Building Automation Systems and Design Specifications for Open Building Systems in Ron Bernstein‘s latest course. Typically developed by a consulting engineer,… Continue reading “Building Automation Systems and Open Building Systems: Design Specs”
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”