Tag Archive for: energyefficiency

Green roofs, solar chimneys, passive housing can cool homes & reduce energy use as the US faces rising temperatures and energy demands.

Green roofs and solar chimneys are here – experts say it’s time to use them

The US sweltered under record-breaking heat this year, with new research suggesting that air conditioning is no longer enough to keep homes cool. Spiraling energy demands and costs of indoor cooling now have planners looking to alternative ways to keep buildings cool – some fresh out of the lab, others centuries old.

“The amount of buildings we expect to go up in the next couple decades is just staggering,” says Alexi Miller, director of building innovation at the non-profit New Buildings Institute (NBI). “If we build them the way we built them yesterday, we’re going to use a phenomenal amount of energy. There are lots of ways we could be doing this better. It’s not all fancy, emerging technology – there’s some basic stuff we don’t do nearly enough.”

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Source: The Guardian

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Volkswagen is aiming to increase its appeal to EV customers by offering them the chance of taking a solar panel deal to cut the cost of recharging.

Volkswagen looks to brighten up electric car sales with solar panels

Volkswagen is aiming to increase its appeal to EV customers by offering them the chance of taking a solar panel deal to cut the cost of recharging.

Volkswagen is to offer a solar panel deal alongside chargers for its electric cars.

The German car maker says that will cut drivers’ costs by some 40% because they will be able to use excess solar energy to recharge their electric vehicles.

That figure is based on an estimate from UK energy efficiency organisation the Energy Saving Trust which says the average household can expect to pay around £7,000 (€8,200) for a 3.5 kWh solar panel system at peak times.

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Source: Euro News

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The world needs to double the pace at which it’s deploying energy efficiency measures if it hopes to meet global climate goals, IEA says

IEA: World needs to pick up pace on energy efficiency

EFFICIENCY: The world needs to double the pace at which it’s deploying energy efficiency measures, such as installing heat pumps and LED lightbulbs, if it hopes to meet global climate goals, the International Energy Agency says. (Reuters)

CLEAN ENERGY: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs a sweeping bill package that includes a 100% clean energy target by 2040 and shifts authority over wind and solar projects from local governments to state regulators. (Bridge)

SOLAR: Los Angeles looks to increase lower-income residents’ access to distributed clean energy by reducing community solar subscription rates and expanding generation at public and multifamily sites. (PV Magazine)

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Source: Energy News Network

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Thanks to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and IRA, DOE has made available more than $861M to CA’s state and local governments to invest in energy efficiency & grid resilience.

Energy Facts: Impact of the investing in America agenda on California

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm visits California

  • On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm will travel to San Jose for an announcement on DOE’s first-of-its-kind Renew America’s Nonprofits program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. On Thursday, October 26, 2023, Secretary Granholm will tour SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park and attend a “first light” celebration of the lab’s upgraded Linac Coherent Light Source, the world’s most powerful X-ray laser.

Strengthening California’s Economy

ENERGY JOBS

  • In 2022, there were already 911,345 California workers employed in the energy sector.
  • Across the state, more than 76% of the electric power generation workforce was in wind, solar, and hydroelectric, and more than 294,000 workers were employed in energy efficiency.
  • The Inflation Reduction Act is expanding these opportunities, bringing an estimated $21.2 billion of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to California between now and 2030.

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Source: Department of Energy

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14 states produce the equivalent of 30% or more of their electricity consumption from wind, solar and geothermal, up from just two states in 2013.

New report: Wind & solar energy tripled in US over past decade

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In 2022, the United States produced more than three times as much solar, wind and geothermal power than we did in 2013, with growth in all 50 states. That’s according to Renewables on the Rise 2023, an online dashboard unveiled on Wednesday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.

“Abundant and clean renewable energy sources, most notably wind and solar, are increasingly playing a leading role in how we power our lives,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “The sooner we power our lives with renewable energy, the better it will be for our health and our planet.”

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Source: Environment America

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The energy sector added almost 300,000 jobs last year, about a 3.8% growth rate from 2021 to 2022, according to an annual study by the US DOE.

Energy workforce grew 3.8% last year; clean energy jobs increased in every state

The energy sector added almost 300,000 jobs last year, about a 3.8% growth rate from 2021 to 2022, according to an annual study released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Every state saw an increase in clean energy jobs, a sector which grew 3.9% nationally, according to the 2023 U.S. Energy and Employment Report. Overall U.S. employment grew 3.1% across the same period.

“We’re only getting started,” Bob Keefe, executive director of the national, nonpartisan business group E2, said in a statement

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Source: Utility Dive

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EPA launched a $7B grant competition to increase access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy for low-income households.

EPA launches $7B competition to bring low-cost solar energy to more hard-working American families

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a $7 billion grant competition through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to increase access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy for millions of low-income households. The Solar for All competition, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to create and expand programs that provide financing and technical assistance, such as workforce development, to bring residential solar to low-income and disadvantaged communities. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the grant competition today with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) in Waterbury, Vermont while touring a residential solar project.  

EPA’s Solar for All competition is just the latest way that the Inflation Reduction Act is expanding access to solar for hard-working American families. Solar is the cheapest form of power available, so it helps lower energy costs while creating good-quality jobs, advancing environmental justice, and tackling the climate crisis.

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Source: The White House

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Mission Hills followed the Disciples of Christ Church's decision to reduce its carbon pollution and become carbon neutral by 2030.

California churches meet their sustainability goals through solar energy & energy efficiency

In California, two Disciples of Christ churches had the same idea to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their fossil fuel use. Mission Hills Christian Church in San Fernando, outside of Los Angeles, installed rooftop solar panels to reduce its carbon emissions and act at the intersection of environmental care and justice work. Niles Discovery Church in Fremont, near San Jose, installed a solar array to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and lower its energy costs. Both churches are certified Green Chalice churches, which means that they completed a nationwide program to lower their carbon footprints by installing solar panels, creating community gardens, and recycling. Both also have volunteer teams who have helped make the two churches more sustainable through energy and water efficiency actions, allowing them to do more good in their communities.

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Source: EESI

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ACEEE published its ranking of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., which looked at how states instituted energy efficiency policies.

California earns top marks in new energy efficiency scorecard

California, Massachusetts and New York are the three most energy-efficient states in the country, according to a new scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The nonprofit published its ranking of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on Tuesday which looked at how states instituted energy efficiency policies that lower energy prices for residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the past year.

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Source: The Hill

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