EBN May 2009). Two groups—the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC)—are working on separate... Read more

A thermostat controls a heating (and cooling) system, turning it on and off to maintain... Read more

On September 23, 2009, development company CB Richard Ellis Group (CBRE) joined with Brookfield Properties and ING Clarion Partners in a one-day pursuit of energy savings through building management across its portfolio.

In September 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its long-awaited draft WaterSense standard for showerheads.

Beginning in January 2010, building energy modelers will be able to take an exam and become certified energy modelers. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), together with the International Building Performance Simulation Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, has... Read more

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) began using building information modeling (BIM) in 2003; by 2007, the agency was requiring basic models for all projects and encouraging more complex models incorporating energy performance and construction scheduling. Now, both Wisconsin and Texas have adopted BIM programs for state construction... Read more

The first public version of the rating system designed for colleges and universities by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) was made available in October 2009.

In 1980, after living without electricity for five years, I bought a photovoltaic (PV) module for $275. Once the 33-watt Arco panel was hooked up to a 12-volt car battery, my kerosene bill dropped significantly. For a few hours each night, I was able to listen to a radio and operate a tiny 12-volt fluorescent light.

Twenty-nine years... Read more

I just finished reading the piece on heat-pump water heaters in the October issue of EBN [“Heat-Pump Water Heaters Ready for Prime Time”].

I just don’t get the support for heat pumps. The process is sold as “free heat from the ground” and “simply moving heat from one place to another.” However, the truth is that the compressor used to... Read more

Vermont made history last week, becoming the first state to offer "feed-in tariffs" for electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Feed-in tariffs have been... Read more

Last week I wrote about a high-tech solution for water heating--heat-pump water heaters that can cut costs by more than half compared to conventional electric water heating. This week, I'll address the low-tech efficiency side of water heating.

First, some... Read more

At a time when many universities are struggling to fund advanced degree programs, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture has established a doctoral program in architecture that emphasizes architectural technology. The school seeks candidates interested in studying all aspects of the building envelope, including... Read more

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved a budget that will funnel $3.1 billion to energy-efficiency efforts statewide over the next three years—an initiative that the commission says is the largest such program in American history.

The budget will fund, among other things, the California Statewide Program for... Read more