Negawatts and Megawatts – When Less Makes Money
Note: Many statements contained in this piece are the result of an in-person interview between the author (Melissa C. Lott) and Chevron Energy Solutions’s President, Jim Davis in the fall of 2011. In the future, the world will demand more energy than it does today. While the exact amount might be disputed, with a global population expected to hit 9 (perhaps even 10) billion people by 2050, it is... Read More
Negawatts and Megawatts – When Less Makes Money
Note: Many statements contained in this piece are the result of an in-person interview between the author (Melissa C. Lott) and Chevron Energy Solutions’s President, Jim Davis in the fall of 2011. In the future, the world will demand more energy than it does today. While the exact amount might be disputed, with a global population expected to hit 9 (perhaps even 10) billion people by 2050, it is... Read More
Declining Energy Quality and Economic Recession
According to many, downturns in the U.S. and European markets are primarily the result of unsustainable behaviors in the financial industry. But, some critics are asking – was declining energy quality a major contributor to these negative turns? According to Dr. Carey King, a research associate at the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, the answer to this question... Read More
Guest Post: LEED – Not just a pretty plaque, and certainly not perfect
By C. Sylvan A building revolution is happening right under our noses. And it looks like this (see left). You may have seen this plaque at the entrance to Office Depot, in the lobby of your office building, or at a multi-family housing development in your area. This plaque means that the building has achieved LEED certification. LEED has become the industry standard for commercial green building and... Read More
Guest Post: House Calls – Finding energy inefficiencies using residential energy audits
By, Brent Stephens and Joshua Rhodes Just like check-ups with your doctor can evaluate your health and spot early warning signs of future problems, energy audits can evaluate your home for inefficiencies and find ways to reduce ongoing energy waste. A detailed energy audit can find culprits responsible for very noticeable problems, such as high energy bills or uncomfortable rooms, and can also find... Read More
Guest Post: Age Matters – A Business Student Learns About Energy Efficiency
By Kelsey Morris As a summer intern at Go Green Squads, I worked on projects related to increasing the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Austin. Over a summer full of record high temperatures, including more than 80 days above 100 degrees, I saw first-hand how energy efficiency could potentially impact entire communities. I also learned how a business student could contribute to a field... Read More
Green Building Retrofits – Decreasing the demand from HVAC systems
Today, buildings account for 40% of the energy consumed in the U.S. each year. However, since the 1980s, the real cost of energy has increased more than fivefold, leading to greater awareness of energy use and its resulting environmental impact. This leaves a significant opportunity area for green building retrofits, particularly in building HVAC systems. ‘Green building’ methods use design and... Read More
Population and Purpose: Where we use electricity
Electricity is used for many purposes – for example, illuminating a space, cooking food, cooling a store, or running a production line. In Wyoming, more than half of the electricity sold in the state is used for industrial applications. In the District of Columbia, more than 60% is sold to the commercial sector. When searching for the most efficient ways to investment in the nation’s power infrastructure,... Read More
Integrating Renewables Into the U.S. Electric Grid – a Discussion with Dr. Paul Denholm
This post was originally posted on 8/24/2011 on Scientific American’s Plugged In. Earlier this month, I attended at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Energy Sustainability Conference in Washington, DC. During the conference, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Paul Denholm, a senior analyst at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado.... Read More
David MacKay – Sustainable Energy, without all the hot air
This post was published on 8/23/11 on my blog, Plugged In, on Scientific American. This weekend, I rediscovered the work of David J.C. MacKay, a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. Dr. MacKay has a PhD in Computation and Neural Systems (from Cal Tech) and conducts research in machine learning, information theory and communication systems. He currently serves as... Read More
