Blog

Replacing all the streetlights in New York City is no small job. The city, however, was on board with the idea of using LED lights city wide. In 2009, after completing thorough testing, a project to replace all the city's streetlights began and became a model for other cities to study and follow. The project […]

The term "liquefied natural gas" can bring many images to mind, including some explosive ones. But in reality, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is much less volatile or explosive than many other hydrocarbon products including gasoline or diesel. Peter Micciche, manager of ConocoPhillips LNG Facility has an informative demonstration video that shows just how safe LNG […]

Businesses aren't the only ones taking advantage of energy efficiency. In fact, more schools are retrofitting to increase efficiency and save on costs. Energy efficient schools create many benefits that go beyond energy and financial savings. In fact, benefits can include improved air quality, increased interest in how the school conserves energy and water, and […]

Can U.S. cities streamline their solar PV permitting processes? According to a new study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the answer is yes. The study assembles permitting process scores from a variety of sources including the DOE's Rooftop Solar Challenge, and the U.S. Census. "Essentially, the study boils down to one equation: permitting practices, […]

When it comes to wind development, Missouri lags behind its neighbors, according to a new report. The American Wind Association's 2012 Annual Market report shows that Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois have each added at least 1,400 megawatts each. The last wind farm in Missouri was the 150 megawatt Lost Creek wind farm. It is also […]

A recent report from the U.S. Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) highlights the new utility interest in solar power. Every year, SEPA ranks utilities across the nation in terms of how much solar energy they have incorporated into their user base. "Together, the top 10 account for 73 percent of all of the solar capacity […]

Building energy efficiency is improving, and building owners and managers are seeing a difference in the retrofit process. However, the results can be inaccurate and inconsistent, especially when compared across an entire portfolio. So what can be improved? The tools. A new effort by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is looking to create tablet-based […]

Timed perfectly with Earth Day, the Bullitt Center opened its doors yesterday as the world's greenest building. Located in Seattle, the six-story, 50,000 square foot office building features a variety of sustainable projects, including composting toilets. The Bullitt Foundation "hopes that the new center will demonstrate that carbon-neutral office space can be 'commercially viable and aesthetically stunning.'" […]

Can national sustainability be obtained with a regional approach? According to Mark Mykleby, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, believes we can. A retired colonel from the Marine Corp, Mykleby is working on a grand strategy that focuses on activating the public, private, and civil sectors to collaborate on long-term region investment strategies […]