Dozens of towns and cities in California, Washington, Colorado and Oregon have already effectively banned gas in most new buildings.New York City did the same in December. At the state level, California also adopted a landmarkbuilding code changelast August that strongly encourages new buildings to forgo gas hookups, but does not mandate it.

At the same time, the gas industry is vigorously fighting these policies and asserting that it will be possible to cut emissions from buildings using lower-carbon fuels like gas from landfills andclean hydrogen.At least 19 Republican-led state legislatureshave passed preemption laws that prevent municipalities from banning gas.

In Washington, the revised code came in response to a target set by the state Legislature to reduce the amount of energy consumed by nonresidential buildings by 70% by 2031. A2021 Washington state energy strategy reportalso found that electrification and energy efficiency were the most cost effective ways to achieve state greenhouse gas targets for buildings.

While Washington is the first state with an all-electric mandate, the California Energy Commission, which oversees the state building code, passed a similar policy last August that will also go into effect in 2023. The California code sets a baseline efficiency standard that all but requires the use of heat pumps for space heating. Developers have the option to install other types of heating as long as they adopt a raft of energy efficiency measures. The California code is also more flexible in regards to water heating.

Washingtons new code does contain a few exceptions for hospitals, research facilities and other buildings where fossil fuels are required for specific needs that cannot practicably be served by heat pump. Large commercial buildings in Eastern Washington, where the temperature can get down into the negative teens, are also allowed to use gas heating as a backup option. The code requires only that 50 percent of a buildings water heating needs are fulfilled using heat pumps.

No state is yet considering a ban on the use of gas for cooking though some of the local gas bans do apply to stoves. Kocher said the space and water-heating mandate is likely to prevent most commercial developers from hooking up new buildings to the gas system altogether. He also didnt want to invite further opposition to the idea by angering the restaurant industry, which has proved to be afierce opponent to gas bans in places like Berkeley, California.

We do need to stop putting gas lines in for all end uses. But we thought that this was a pretty big code change as it is, he said.

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Washington is the first state to require all-electric heating in new buildings - Crosscut

FRESNO, Calif., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Time is running out for residents in central California looking to take advantage of a $3,950 rebate on a new air conditioning system. The Tech Clean California program announced on Friday that the rebates will be dramatically reduced at the end of this week, dropping from $3,950 to just $1,000.

The program, which launched in December 2021, has become very popular but has limited funds remaining. In order to take advantage of the maximum rebate, customers must identify a contractor and have the contractor submit a signed contract to the program. Otherwise, they will lose out on $2,950.

The Tech Clean California program is designed to help Californians transition to a cleaner and more efficient air conditioning system. The rebates are part of that effort, and the program has been successful in helping many Californians upgrade their AC units.

But with the deadline looming, time is running out for those who have not yet taken advantage of the rebate. Customers considering upgrading their AC system need to act now. Signed contracts must be submitted by May 13th, 2022 otherwise the rebate will drop significantly. This change was announced on Friday, May 6th giving residents only one week remaining to take advantage of this program.

Balanced Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing has been a leader in helping customers maximize incentives available to install energy-efficient air conditioning systems. For more information about Balanced Comfort or these incentives visit Balancedcomfort.com or email us at Info@balancedcomfort.com.

Media Contact: Aaron Husak 559-243-6464 335985@email4pr.com

Cision

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Balanced Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing States Time Is of the Essence if Californians Wish to Take Advantage of $3,950 Rebate for a New Air...

by Meg Hansen One signature and one vote thwarted the attempt to upend heating in Vermont's built environment. Governor Phil Scott won the game of political ping pong against the Legislature, when the latter failed to override his veto of the Clean Heat Standard (CHS)bill by one vote.

The CHS was touted as the most impactful plan to meet the carbon reduction goals mandated by the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). But Scott asked for the invoice upfront. Politicians who buy today with the promise of paying tomorrow (when they'llbe gone) were then forced to defang the bill.

The new version still lacked details on costs and impacts and delegated outsized policymaking authority to the three-member Public Utilities Commission. So, Scott rejected it.

This scheme may be dead but the ideology at its core climate catastrophism will return wearing a new pair of pants.

Scott nonetheless acknowledged the importance of reducing GHG emissions. One doesn't riseto the top of a system by denying its dogmas.

Not everyone though is fated to live as Havel's greengrocer. The few amongst us, whose breads arent buttered by the prevailing system, can ask questions, challenge climate catastrophism, and otherwise flirt with heresy.

Since1900, the average global temperature hasincreased by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degree Fahrenheit). CO2 and other GHG emissions from fossilfuel combustion have warmed the planet by 1.5 degrees Celsius, whilesulfate aerosolsreleased by burning coal and oil have exerted a coolingeffect of 0.6 degrees Celsius.

The planet cooled from 1940 till 1975, after which thetemperature has been rising.Anthropogenic warming has thuslargely occurred since themid-1970s.

Serious critics acknowledge these facts.But they believe that Earth'scomplex dynamical system of temperature is influenced by multiple factors rather thancontrolled by CO2 alone.

Further, they disagreewith the claims of imminentapocalypse,whichoriginate from faulty computer models thathave never accurately predictedanycatastrophic occurrence.

Climate catastrophists assert that Earth will perish unless civilization drastically de-industrializes andeliminates fossil fuels. They blame GHG emissions forrising sea levels and worsening hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Arethey right? According to the assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) no.

Such claims, conflating the weatherwith Earths climate, have becomeubiquitous because of the systemiccorruption of climate science communication. Actual scientific results are rarely, if ever, found in the briefs for the press and policymakers.

Instead, clickbait stories win television ratings, votes, and the day. For example, the latest 4000-page IPCC report expresses lowconfidence that humans have impacted the long-term trends in meteorologicaldroughts, the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, and the probability or magnitude of floods.

Yet, the public was told that the study signaled a code red for humanity.

Climate catastrophizing makes for sound practical politics, but leads to unsound policies like the CHS and the GWSA. An energygrid is notoriously intractable. It can tolerate slow, deliberate modifications.

In contrast, abrupt and sweeping changes to large sectors, such as heating and transportation, will make energy unreliable and its costs prohibitive.

Moreover, renewableenergy technologies arenowhere near ready. Deploying immature technologies would add to the societal disruption.

The CHS planned to force Vermonters to install electric heat pumps thatbecome inefficient or fail in frigid weather. Vermont legislators did not pay heed to the public backlash in the UK last year, which paused the Britishgovernments effort to grow the heat pumpmarket by banning gas boilers.

The GWSAs targets are, in sum, unachievable.Future proposals to meet them could at best realize an immeasurable change to the atmosphere, but not without destabilizing society to the detriment of the non-wealthy. So, how do we make good climate policy?

1) Be honest about values. Increased economicactivity leads to higherGHG emissions but also poverty alleviation and greater life expectancy. The total population grew from 2 billion in 1900 to 7.9 billion today. During this period, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty dropped from82.5 percentto 9.2 percent.

WilliamNordhaus, co-recipientof the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics,arguesthat requiring deep reductions in living standards to chase climate goals would amount to burning down the village to save it.

Would most Vermont lawmakers agree? Does theGWSA prioritize human flourishing or aim to altogether end human influence on the environment?

2) Be honest about the pros and cons of energy sources. As abundant, reliable, scalable, versatile, and energy dense sources, fossil fuels have founded modern civilization.

Eco-activist Annette Smith, who has lived with a renewable energy system for decades,testifiedabout the CHS before the Vermont Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, I have made investments. I have weatherized myhouse. I have replaced thewindows. I do not have alternativesfor propane. There is nothing else.

Fossil fuel powered technology has built resilient infrastructure and early warning systems, which have lowered the annual worldwide deaths due to extreme weather fromhalf a million a century ago to14,000 in 2020. Ithas also minimized air, soil, and water pollution, making the world cleaner and more livable.

Despite $2.6 trillioninglobal investments by the end of 2019, wind and solar energy produce amere 3 percent ofthe world's electricity and do not contributeto the thermal, industrial, and heavy-duty transportation sectors.

Finally, nuclear power is safe, cost-effective, carbon-free, and should be decriminalized.

3) Be humble.Grandiose plans that imposeuncertain and likely devastating outcomes on middle-income workers and families should go nowhere.

Humility will be required to admit that the Global Warming Solutions Act is a failure; courage will be required to repeal it. Neither animates Montpelier.

Meg Hansen is president of the Ethan Allen Institute, a policy research and educational nonprofit organization in Vermont.

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Low housing inventory and high buyer demand have resulted in bidding wars even for homes that might normally linger in cooler markets. If you're thinking of selling a property that has increased in value, you might be tempted to list it without doing any repairs or upgrades.

It's understandable that you'd be reluctant to pour tons of money into renovations when so many eager buyers are snapping up homes sold as-is, but you're leaving money on the table if you don't make any improvements to your home. Consider these relatively quick and easy ways to add even more value to your home.

Curb appeal is everything when it comes to attracting buyer interest, but that doesn't have to end at a beautiful lawn and garden. Replacing, or even just repainting, your front door can add value to your home. According to Remodeling's Cost vs. Value Report, you can recoup 65% on a new steel door and 60.9% on a fiberglass door. Even a fresh coat of paint on an existing door can make an impact. A Zillow survey found that painting your door black could increase your home's value by 2.9%.

Image source: Getty Images.

Although some garages have been converted into living spaces as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), most are used for storage, and therefore, homeowners tend to care more about what's behind the door than the actual door itself. However, a new garage door tops Remodeling's list of value-added home improvements with a whopping 93.8% return on investment (ROI).

Do a walk-through of your home and make notes of any repairs that you've been putting off over the months and years. Is there a loose door handle? Tighten it. Does the junk drawer in the kitchen stick every time? Unstick it.

If you're handy, these repairs will take no time; if not, they are worth hiring a handyperson to do them for you. HomeAdvisor (owned by Angi) reports that an independent handyperson will run you between $55 and $75 an hour. Buyers like seeing a well-maintained home, so making small fixes can go a long way.

Homeowners often get chills up their backs, whether it's because of drafty windows or the thought of spending money on replacing them. At an average cost of $850 (per HomeAdvisor), they can definitely add up. While replacing all the windows would certainly add value to the house, it does result in a large chunk of change that you don't want to lay out, especially if you're leaving the home.

However, you can replace some windows, such as the ones on the bottom floor or only the front-facing windows. Buyers like to know that new things are not only installed but also can save them money, and new energy-conserving windows can cut down on heating and cooling costs.

Without a doubt, homebuyers desire and even expect an updated kitchen and bath. However, you don't have to go high-end with a renovation unless you're in a market that calls for it. According to Remodeling's Cost vs. Value Report, a minor kitchen remodel will recoup 72.2%, and a midrange bath remodel will get back 60.1%. You'll actually score less at resale if you go high-end with either remodel; the data says ROI for upscale kitchen and bath redos are 53.9% and 52.8%, respectively.

A smart move would be to install smart devices that save money. If there's one thing buyers love more than new appliances, it's new appliances that can save them money. A smart thermostat, for example, doesn't cost much to install but goes a long way with the ability to control heating and cooling remotely. The same goes for doorbell cameras that can be viewed via smartphone or tablet, providing much-needed peace of mind when homeowners are away.

Any opportunity to create more living space in a home is a win for buyers, and that includes subterranean space. That doesn't mean you have to convert your basement into a basement apartment, gym, home theater, or (wo)man cave. You could just do a bit of work to remove any of the darkness and dampness inherent to basements so that yours can be used as storage.

Unless buyers have a green thumb, they probably like the idea of a beautiful yard on principle but aren't as enthused when it comes to maintaining it. Do some yard work to clean up flower beds and tidy the lawn but also consider adding low-maintenance features like drought-tolerant plants or hardscaping, such as a concrete or paver patio.

Completely paving over the yard is neither necessary nor as low-maintenance as people think -- you do have to pressure wash it from time to time, as well as fix any cracked pavers. But unless you have a sprinkler system installed, buyers typically don't want to inherit extensive lawn-and-garden maintenance duties.

Homebuyers like a blank canvas, so they can envision themselves living in the space. That's kind of hard to do when there's a crimson accent wall in the living room or floral wallpaper in another. You might have enjoyed this look while you lived there, and there could very well be a buyer who shares your taste in decor. However, buyers would much prefer the chance to place their own mark on the space. This would be a good time to remove any wallpaper and paint over walls in neutral colors.

With such high demand for limited inventory, it's tempting to leave your space status quo. But as a savvy real estate investor, you'll want to profit as much as you can. This list of fixes won't break the bank or take a lot of time, but they could pay off with higher offers and a quicker sale.

See more here:
9 Surefire Ways to Add Value to Your Home - The Motley Fool

Outdoor seating areas can provide your home with an extra comfort level and ensure that you feel satisfied with your house. However, you may neglect these areas or simply feel uncertain about how to upgrade them for maximum quality. The following steps can give you the best outdoor seating area and ensure that your house is worth more on the market if you try to sell it later.

Patios add a certain touch of class and style to your house, which is probably why over 20% of new houses add a patio to their outdoor areas every year. Thankfully, you can add a patio to your outdoor area with little difficulty by working with a professional who understands these steps.

For instance, you can hire a carpenter who can install a new patio and make sure that it's properly structured and safely built. You can then work with a hardscaping professional who can make sure that the rest of your seating area matches it, such as adding new bricks or even a fireplace to this area.

Does your home have limited outdoor landscaping, and you aren't sure what to do? It is important to talk to a landscaping expert who can help expand your landscaping properly, causing no serious issues. For instance, they can put in new trees, flowers, and other items that make your landscaping appealing.

For example, you can add new hills throughout your landscape, put in new bushes, add decorative touches, and even add small and fun structures to your yard. Touching it up just a little will make your outdoor seating area a little more comfortable and relaxing to visit.

Your seating area's doors and windows not only add style to this area but can improve your house's heating and cooling efficiency. Perhaps that's why the windows and door market had a $153 billion value in 2020. Putting in new windows and doors can help you enjoy sitting outside even more.

Even though these fixes mostly affect your house, they can also improve your seating area. For instance, if you have an outdoor sunroom with doors and windows protecting you from bugs, adding new items can improve this room's comfort, style, and heating efficiency.

Did you know that mosquitoes can and will lay eggs in standing water as small as a bucket or mud puddle? There's nothing worse than letting this standing water stay, hatching thousands of mosquitoes, and dealing with them all summer. Instead, get rid of this standing water to improve your outdoor seating.

A mosquito treatment specialist can come to your yard and inspect potential egg-laying spots throughout the area. These zones may include shallow areas that collect water every year. You may even need to get upgraded yard sloping to minimize water spread throughout your grass.

Is your seating area comfortable but seems framed in an unattractive exterior look? Try to improve your house's style by adding new siding and other elements. Doing so not only improves your overall style but boosts your seating area comfort and enhances your house's value at the same time.

What material should you use? Well, the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction found the most popular options were: vinyl or stucco (26%), brick or brick veneer (21%), and fiber cement siding (20%). Pick an option that meets your house's style and your budgeting needs.

As you can see, you can add a great new outdoor seating area for your home if you have the time, patience, and budget to improve these areas. Pay attention to these steps, identify other potentially useful options to consider, and work with a house improvement specialist to get the help that you need. Doing so can improve your house's appearance and let you relax outdoors with ease.

Read more from the original source:
How to Create the Perfect Outdoor Space at Home This Summer - Shared

It's truly unbelievable.

Despite significant upgrades to solar and wind technologies, not everyone is confident that they can provide a viable solution for entire societies to pivot away from fossil fuel and coal, at scale.

And they really need to.

With rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the global average temperature is warming, threatening the world with consequences far worse than even the scientific community initially predicted. In March, both of the Earth's poles experienced an unprecedented rise in temperatures, with sections of Antarctica surging to more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average, and the Arctic climbing more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit above average, according to an NPR report.

If ever we needed a key breakthrough in sustainable technologies, it's right now.

Things have gotten so dire that solar and wind power technologies will have to do more than just supply reliable electricity we also need them to provide applications for other issues that go beyond sustainable energy: slowing or addressing the onslaught of climate change on ecosystems, even on our own supply chain, including food.

In short, solar and wind power are becoming very complicated. And this is a good thing.

"In general, the pivot to solar and wind won't be a one-size-fits-all," says Mark Cann, CEO, and co-CTO of CryomatiKs Inc., who spoke with IE in an interview. "What works for San Francisco is not necessarily going to work for Singapore."

"Its going to be a combination of short-term and long-term power lithium-ionbatteries have secured the path on storing and delivering power for two to four hours," says Cann.

A 2021 study from the University of Michigan estimates that 83 percent of the U.S. population lives in cities, a tremendous rise from 64 percent in 1950. That means any sustainable energy solution isn't worth anything at least in the U.S. until it confronts the issue of powering entire cities.

And that means innovating around the conventional storage technologies seen for wind and solar. In 2021, solar and wind power generated more than 10 percent of the world's electricity, according to Global Electricity Review 2022, which was compiled by the energy think tank, Ember. That's twice the global levels of 2015, when the Paris Climate Agreement was signed.

That's significant progress, but it still leaves 24 percent percent of the world's power generation (in 2020) coming from fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). And the United States Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) October 2021 report said "renewables will be the primary source for new electricity generation, but natural gas, coal, and increasingly batteries will be used to help meet load and support grid reliability."

Consequently, innovation in renewable technologies and the diversification of their capabilities are absolutely necessary tasks.

"Densely populated areas require other strategies to pivot to sustainable energy," adds Cann. "Iron-air batteries are just now being commercialized, but they already have theability to offer several days of power, stored over long periods of time at a much lower price than lithium-ion batteries."

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But this doesn't mean renewable power can simply upgrade to lithium-ion batteries, and scale up to power, say, a major city.

"Some buildings are trying to integrate commercial wind power but, often, the value of a mechanical problem can be much greater than the initial cost to install that turbine," says Co-Founder and CEO of Glass Dyenamics Christopher Angelo, who is also the former CFO of Silicor Materials, in another interview with IE.

"If something goes wrong, it's really expensive to fix," explains Angelo, referring to the complications of installing cutting-edge sustainable energy on large buildings. "If you put a wind turbine on top of a building in the city, that can cause some issues as well, due to building structural and dynamic load management. There's also the chance someone builds in front of the wind pattern."

Imagine if every other building in Manhattan had a wind turbine or large solar array on top, and one or several erupted into a blazing fire from an environmental mishap.It could be like an urban fire from the 19th century totally out of control.

So a straightforward approach of simply distributing renewable power generation throughout an urban region probably isn't going to work. At least not yet. But there are other roadblocks to rolling out sustainable power ones more personal than engineering, alone.

"The key social issue with the solar market is the grid saturation point this is the experience with every major solar market scaling solar to a sufficient degree" in Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, Ontario, and elsewhere, added Angelo. "The saturation point is where those who can't afford solar are paying uncomfortably higher utility rates due to subsidizing the homes that can or already do have solar so theres an inequity issue."

Specifically, the ones most in a position to afford the latest and greatest solar panels can rebrand themselves as a "green company." This, in turn, can give them access to lucrative subsidies "and that crowds out other firms, in addition to prospective residential buyers," explained Angelo.

Anyone can look up the top 10 solar power-using zip codes in, say, California, then note what the average income is in these regions, using IRS and census data, Angelo suggests. "I think the average income [for the densest solar neighborhoods] was two to three times the national average income."

In 2019, the national average income was$65,836, according to Policy Advisor, citing US Census data.

To Angelo, this fact alone lends "some merit to the stigma of 'solar [being] for rich people' there's a steep cost to pay for solar".

However, while it doesn't feel like it, we're still in the salad days of renewable technologies. This means most of those in a position to do something about pushing renewables forward are still relying on lackluster market strategies from the 20th century.

"Everyone is very tribal about new power technologies," hoping "to grab market share," says Cann.

"People aren't just fighting over a contract for today, they're fighting over the next 20 years of contracts," explains Cann.

It's important to think about the human element to demystify the roles of solar, wind, and other types of sustainable energy: while some private interests may not align with every proposed alternative to non-sustainable energy sources, in practice these technologies aren't actually at odds, and can "complement each other," he adds.

Hopes of advancing battery technology to shore up the intermittency issues of solar and wind which signifies wind and solar's uselessness when wind is absent and sunlight is hidden under overcast skies, respectively have promised much. But they might be overstated.

"In reality, batteries provide very little of global energy storage," says Cann. "Pumped hydro provides over 90 percent of the world's global energy storage, with thermal energy providing a small amount and batteries offering single digits."

To Cann, the conversation should move on from the discussion of batteries.

"There are multiple technologies, like green hydrogen or liquid air, that are capable of providing uninterrupted electricity to large cities," explains Cann. And we can even procure highly valuable byproducts from these battery types, like high-grade cold air for air conditioning, refrigeration, and, in some cases, even waste heat that could keep the hot water tap toasty.

But whatever we do to innovate the way we think about batteries and energy storage, we may have little time to act.

"In the next couple of years the manufacturing costs of lithium ion-based batteries, and thus energy storage itself, is going to rise tremendously," says Cann. "That's going to change a lot of projections that were made five or six years ago regarding the price" of new battery technologies.

"All the raw materials to make them have doubled in price," Cann says. And, according to him, sustainable energy technologies are due for an upgrade. "Previous sustainable technologies have already matured it's gotten to the point where people are trying to squeeze pennies or nickels out of things."

If we're going to preserve the next generation of modern power, we need to put next-gen sustainable technologies into mass production, says Cann. "For example, there is a solar photovoltaic design that uses copper instead of silver it has lower material costs than conventional PV panels, and testing yields very good early performance it should be able to match or outperform current PV panels, at a much lower cost."

Cann's company, CryomatiKs Inc., is working to commercialize a new type of floating wind platform that incorporates energy storage directly into the system. While Cann admits his partiality to wind power (it's what his company is doing, after all), he has a reason that seems to override skepticism:

"The short answer is [that] floating wind platforms can provide over 60 percent utilization factor, whereas solar is less than 25 percent, and in most locations falls to less than 20 percent."

"This means that floating wind platforms can provide clean electricity for over 14 hours a day, with solar between five to six hours. When you are producing power over 12 hours a day with floating wind, less energy storage is required, which results in lower cost," said Cann. "Floating solar arrays have the advantage of helping cool the PV panels, which increases the output of the solar array by one to two percent. When floating solar is installed on top of a water reservoir this can reduce the evaporation of the water as well."

Floating solar arrays, or floatovoltaic panels (FPV), "are a tasty treat," remarks Professor Joshua Pearceof the Innovation Ivey Business School Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Western University, in another interview with IE. "You don't use any land, and you also get the benefit of water cooling the panels down."

In the development of new and renewable resources, real estate is expensive and in short supply a boon for FPVs. And the technology avoids another hidden pitfall of solar technology, explored by Pearce and his colleagues in the journal Energies.

"Solar cell efficiency drops with increased temperature," explains Pearce. "The water cools floatovoltaics so their operating temperature is lower, which results in more solar electricity generation."

To Pearce, FPVs will see tremendous growth in the coming years. "It turns out there are many crops across the world that increasetheir yield when you put them under transparent solar panels. If you shade your beans or peppers, you get more under the panels than you would otherwise" said Pearce.

And, notably, FPV arrays can "help conserve water by limiting evaporation," adds Pearce,who's also the John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation at the Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership.Pearce and a colleague, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, explored the ramifications of disappearing natural lakes amid the changing environment, in a study published in the journalRenewable Energy.

The pair found thatFPVs could have great success "in arid or semi-arid regions, as well as helping protect against climate change," says Pearce. "They could be critical for saving terminal natural lakes." And with the supply chain shortage in full swing, Pearce and his colleagues did a study that discovered "the materialsfor FPV are less than for conventional racking," and showed that FPV systems are the greenest of all photovoltaic systems.

"Overall, even though the U.S. is behind in FPV, I think we can expect to see a lot more of it in the near future as it may even be beneficial for aquaculture to make aquavoltaics," says Pearce, to IE. But no matter how compelling, encouraging, or even mind-blowing the abundance of evolving solutions to rethinking our energy infrastructure, we should be careful not to overlook the other end of energy consumption and not become fixated on generation.

Unlike insulated walls, windows can "leak" energy via heat transfer at incredible rates (depending on the surface area). During the winter and summer months, the temperature differential between a comfortable office or home and the outdoor world is constantly being adjusted. And, whether via air conditioning or heating, that's energy wasted.

In essence, minimizing this loss comes from the same motivation behind investing in solar or wind power tech. "If you're a building owner, you don't buy solar because it's going to be a power source for you, you're buying it to be an efficient tool to lower your costs," says CEO and Co-Founder of Glass Dyenamics, Christopher Angelo.

Angelo's company produces a special kind of dynamic glass that "tintsand untints upon application of an electric charge and it takes roughly one minute to darken," he explains. But this technology allows users to save on wasted energy without losing the benefits of a sunny day by completely shutting blinds or other coverings. The dynamic glass "goes from 70 percent down to three percent of visible light transmission. So its similar to solar cells which have 20 percent efficiency of that sunlight."

Converted into energy loss (also known as the solar heating coefficient)the tinted state only transfers 20 percent of that solar heat, "and in a clear state, its 40 percent," adds Angelo. In essence, this cuts the amount of solar heat coming into a building during a sunny day. And that reduces how long the air conditioning needs to be left on to achieve a comfy temperature. This, in turn, "provides energy efficiency and energy savings, which is the same value-proposition that solar provides," he adds.

Of course, there are other options to tinted glass insulation in homes and businesses already holds a lot of the heat inside homes, serving as a thermal buffer to keep a temperature differential from equalizing between inside and outside. Fiberglass has long served as a means of doing this, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that fiberglass production creates emissions that become "toxic air pollution, including styrene."

There are alternative materials that could be used. Scientific work with the insulating properties of sheep's wool could yield more eco-friendly materials. Cotton (yes, even your old blue jeans) can be shredded and recycled into thick batts, and fit right into walls (but you may want to have someone treat them with a borate solution, so it's less flammable). There are other solutions, like the spray, icynene, and polystyrene, but suffice to say there is a multitude of options that can be combined to make your home or office cut energy costs, without causing environmental costs.

And, while solar power is "stuck at three percent market penetration," dynamic glass could expand deep into the U.S., and worldwide until renewable energy technologies catch up, and it's even cheaper than solar: "Dynamic glass offers a 66-percent discount compared to average rooftop solar," explains Angelo. "I think this has a huge role to play in terms of future energy efficiency."

The Department of Energy has recognized the promise of this technology implementing dynamic glass to become a major part of sustainable energy in government facilities throughout the United States which means the time to buy or invest early, as the market expands, is now.

Cann's firm broke with convention on wind technology, and moved away from the traditional three-blade system, opting instead for a drag-based system. "If you've ever seen windmill-based systems like those used in the 1930s that pump water out of the ground that's called a drag-based design," explains Cann. And this design had several advantages. Low cost was primary "the cost of raw materials is incredibly low," explains Cann. But the higher utilization rates that come from floating platforms were equally important. These go to "60 or 70 percent," says Cann.

But most crucially is the way drag-based design circumvents intermittency issues: "It doesn'trely on high wind speed," says Cann. "The performance is lower relative for to three-blade systems, and but drag based wind turbines can operate from lower for windspeed."

But none of this will have a lasting effect if it can't be scaled. Luckily, it can. "The drag-based three-blade system can definitely be scaled," Cann tells me. "Right now, there isa 1-MW turbine system being built, and were using that to validate the output," he adds, referencing his firm's efforts to develop a scalable version of floating drag-based wind turbines. "Then well build a 5-MW version, which will be put on a floating platform."

"The 5-MW machine will be a default mass-producible unit that will be on afloating platform, and those floating platform machines can go up to 100 MW.Crucially, each floating platform also doubles as an energy storage system," says Cann. And this system takes wind power beyond electricity and conventional power grids tapping into the wider infrastructure where it hits us closest.

"Our approach argues that there's far more value in storing power starting with molecules than you can with electrons," explains Cann, hinting that his firm's strategy isn't limited to electrical grids. "If you can take low-cost power and convert it into liquid air or green ammonia, then that same power has more value than simply feeding electricity into the grid."

"You can go one step further, and convert the low-cost power into green ammonia," explains Cann. If you've never heard of green ammonia, and how critical it is to food production, you should. "The ammonia market consists of nearly 200 tons per year. And that requires a lot of natural gas. So, providing green ammonia as a carbon-free alternative is an appealing market."

Cann's choice of the word "appealing" is an understatement.

"Fifty percent of ammonia goes to create food," he says. "You can't grow food without ammonia. Right now, prices are skyrocketing because of Russia's push to overthrow the Ukrainian government, which drives natural gas prices up, which, in turn, drives food prices up."

Innovate for the public good - Solar and wind power are evolving faster than is generally recognized. Among other things, this means public consensus, as always, is lagging behind the combined advances of both scientific progress and commercial growth in sustainable technology. But, with the climate crisis exacerbating already intolerable and unpredictable conditions, and the threat of more warsand overstrained resources and supply chains it's time to lend more support to recent advances, from floating solar arrays to drag-based wind turbines, new intermittency solutions, smarter raw materials, dynamic, energy-saving windows and, of course, take a new look at changing the quasi-monopolistic market strategies of conventional and sustainable energy investors who do not tend to put the public good ahead of private profits.

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We need to rethink solar and wind power. Here's why - Interesting Engineering

Controlled Climates is a leading heating, cooling, & plumbing company. In a recent website post, the agency shared the core values that make them unique.

Clovis, CA January 25, 2022 In a website post, controlled Climates Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing has shared the core values that make it the bestHVAC Cloviscontractor.

One of their core values is the never-ending commitment to quality. They offer safe and superior products, advanced design, skilled installation without compromise. This is the commitment to all those who trust thisClovis HVACagency with their homes and businesses.

As team players, they have built on character and integrity to support and trust one another to make decisions for the collective good. Team development is a priority focusing on hiring the best people, growing talent, maintaining a solid work ethic, and being resourceful.

With their outstanding customer care inair conditioning service Clovis, they pride itself on treating every customer like family. They take pride in being personally dedicated to an extraordinary customer experience by claiming ownership and accountability to perform. Not only that, but they also believe strongly that good character is the embodiment of a great business and life. That is why they always do the right thing the right way at the right time.

Due to constant innovation, the agency has a personal commitment to excellence in productivity and performance through education, embracing technological advancements and creativity in problem-solving.

About Controlled Climates Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing

Controlled Climates Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing is premier heating, air conditioning, and plumbing contractor in the Fresno and Clovis, CA community. They are locally owned and operated, and the HVAC company has helped hundreds in Fresno County stay comfortable in the hot, sunny weather thats given California its fame. The HVAC technicians arrive on time and get right to work, so clients feel great all year long.

Media ContactCompany Name: Controlled Climates Heating, Cooling, & PlumbingContact Person: Katelyn MontezEmail: Send EmailPhone: (559) 400-8180Address:575 W Alluvial Ave City: ClovisState: CA 93611Country: United StatesWebsite: controlled-climates.com

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Controlled Climates Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing Shares the Core Values That Set Them Apart - Digital Journal

PORTSMOUTH A Chillicothe company held an annual holiday giveaway donation in the Pike county area looking for someone in immediate need.

At Christmas, we celebrate God giving His greatest gift of Jesus to the world, Accurate Heating & Cooling and Bryant want to share in this spirit of giving as well. We will provide and install one heating system to a local family in immediate need. Please complete the form below and include an explanation of the heating need and how the system would make a difference.

To ensure that the information about this generous opportunity was shared with as many people in need as possible, Adam Days delivered the application to the CACs Social Services staff. Karen Minney in Social Services assisted with sharing the information with the Weatherization Program, Housing Program, and others.

The application found its way to the desk of CACs Social Worker, Annya Thompson, who knew of a co-worker, Mary Hablitzel, that was in dire need of a new furnace. Marys furnace had abruptly stopped working a few months prior leaving her family to rely on space heaters and the gas cook stove to heat her house. Out of fear for the familys safety and well-being, Annya completed the application on Marys behalf in hopes of finding assistance for Mary and her family.

Days later, Mary received a call from a representative at Accurate Heating & Cooling to congratulate her on being chosen to receive a new heating system unit and to schedule a time for a technician to visit her home to inspect the current furnace and heating structure. During the inspection, the technician explained to Mary that not only was the furnace unrepairable, but also explained how fortunate she was that the furnace had an automatic shutoff valve. He further explained that the gas was entering the wrong chamber which could have easily resulted in a severely life-threatening situation (fire or carbon monoxide poisoning).

The technician left her home that day and returned two days later with the new furnace and installed it that day. The Hablitzel family is very grateful to Accurate Heating & Cooling and fellow CAC team members who were able to make this holiday season one of the warmest and kindest that the family has known proving that generosity of others is the greatest gift of all.

The CAC staff would like to thank Accurate Heating & Cooling for their generosity to the Pike County community throughout the year and appreciation for theirpartnership with making this opportunity available for those in our area that are in need.

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Chillicothe Heating and Cooling Business Gives Away Furnace to Person in Need - Scioto Post

January 23, 2022

By Lily Carey

Regulating the temperature and climate of your home is no easy task especially for a historic building like the Jacob Odell house, home of The Historical Society serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.

We have lots of really delicate objects, said Sara Mascia, Executive Director of the Historical Society. A lot of these materials need really appropriate environments for them to be preserved in.

The Historical Society preserves centuries-old artifacts in the Jacob Odell house, from its first floor historical exhibits to its library full of local records and documents. All of the Societys artifacts were made, used, and even worn locally.

Yet preserving these artifacts in an ideal climate is a major concern, says Mascia. Built between 1848 and 1850, the Jacob Odell house originally used an old and inefficient boiler, and had no air conditioning. Without proper heating and cooling, the Historical Societys artifacts risked being damaged.

This all changed several years ago, when the Historical Society heard about the option of heating and cooling with clean, efficient heat pumps. As a not-for-profit organization, the Historical Society received a grant to make energy efficiency upgrades from the New York State Thruway Authority during the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

We were able to put solar panels up on our roof, and also heat pumps, said Mascia. The heat pumps provide both heat and air conditioning, which is great for an old house like this.

Doug Fox, energy advisor, in front of the outdoor unit for the heat pump at the Historical Society

During the process, the Historical Society consulted with the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC), a group of volunteers that works with the town on environmental goals. The TEAC helped the Society in deciding what types of renewable energy to look at for their project, and has helped many other homeowners with related home energy efficiency projects.

Mascia emphasized that preserving the original fabric of the house was especially important for the Historical Society.

Fortunately, the contractors were able to install the Historical Societys heat pumps behind the walls of the building, regulating temperature without disturbing the houses character. The air-source heat pumps used in the Jacob Odell house are typically installed onto the side of the building, and use a compressor to heat air from the outdoors and move it indoors.

We were able to create an environment here that not only protects the historic fabric of the building, but makes us a little bit greener, said Mascia.

By combining the air-source heat pump system with the solar panels installed on the roof, the Historical Society was even able to lower their energy costs. Mascia has especially noticed how the project combined the Historical Societys goals of preservation, sustainability, and lowering energy costs.

The Jacob Odell house is just one of hundreds of buildings across Westchester to have upgraded its energy systems through state grant programs. Information and assistance for homeowners to make similar energy upgrades are available through EnergySmart Rivertowns, a partnership between Sustainable Westchester, NYSERDA, and the governments of Tarrytown, Irvington, and Sleepy Hollow.

Eligible homeowners can receive incentives, rebates and financing assistance and connect with contractors to install heat pumps, insulation, water heaters and more in their own homes through EnergySmart programs. TEAC has also partnered with EnergySmart Rivertowns to spread the word about these programs and help homeowners in the Tarrytown area complete their own projects.

Overall, these programs proved to be incredibly helpful to the Historical Society and the Jacob Odell house, said Mascia.

This whole system has helped us to preserve a lot of our artifacts and objects, she said. I cant recommend it enough.

If youre interested in making similar energy upgrades to your own home or if you want to volunteer to spread the word about these programs contact Sustainable Westchesters EnergySmart Rivertowns at EnergySmartHomes@SustainableWestchester.org or contact TEAC for more information.

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January 23, 2022

By Barrett Seaman-- The Unite Sleepy Hollow (USH) party that has dominated village politics for the past decade under seven-term...

January 23, 2022

-- By Lily Carey Regulating the temperature and climate of your home is no easy task especially for a...

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Less than three weeks after learning that she was one of 300 high school students nationwide to be named in...

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By Rick Pezzullo--- A new four-story, multi-family rental development proposed at 29 South Depot Plaza in Tarrytown was recently met...

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By Rick Pezzullo--- State Senator Pete Harckham has secured $200,000 in state grant funding for the Village of Sleepy Hollow...

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By Barrett Seaman Encomiums and eulogies poured in from Westchester politicians of both parties over the weekend after word spread...

January 14, 2022

By Barrett Seaman-- A former Hastings Democratic Party chair and county aide, Ellen Hendrickx was sworn in as a member...

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Energy Upgrades Help the Tarrytown Historical Society Preserve Its History - The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News - - The Hudson Independent

For four days in Perth's heatwave over Christmas and New Year's, the temperature in Rosa Hicks's bedroom did not sink below 30 degrees.

Forced to isolate for a day in her smallSouth Fremantle share house, she had only a pedestal fan to use in an attempt to cool herself.

She saidher rented house had not been "liveable or healthy" this summer season.

"When I was isolating in my room for 12 hours waiting for a COVID test result, I felt even more trapped knowing I couldn't escape to the sea or even catch the breeze in my garden," she told Geoff Hutchison on ABC Perth's Drive program.

Ms Hicks has been tracking the temperature in her bedroom with a thermometer provided by tenancy advocacy group Better Renting for a project called Renter Researchers.

"I was struggling to sleep," she said.

"I don't think I realised just how hot it was getting until I had this sort of quantitative data in front of me."

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The situation will come into sharp focus for many tenants as Perthsweltersthrough anotherheatwave which could break a record for the most consecutive days over 40 degrees, prompting health warnings and record power consumption.

Better Rentingexecutive director Joel Digham said the experience of tenants like Ms Hicks had prompted a renewed push for landlords to provide minimum standards of comfortin their properties.

"Renter Researchers aims to bring out into the open what people who rent their homes are experiencing, combining data and people's stories to highlight the challenges of enduring an Australian summer in a poor-quality home," he said.

"Minimum rental standards would make it easier for people who rent to be able to afford to keep their home at a decent temperature in summer."

Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) president Damian Collins said landlords were not obliged to provide air conditioning for tenants.

"The more things you make mandatory, the higher the cost of rent will be," he said.

"And ultimately, tenants have to make their own choice.

"Some people feel they need it but some people and some properties, perhaps orientated correctly, can cope perfectly fine without it.

"We'd certainly be against any mandating of air conditioning."

While landlordsdo not have to provide a property with suitable heating and cooling units, if a unit is already in a property they are required to maintain it.

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Circle Green Community Legalmanaging solicitor of tenancy Alice Pennycott said minimum standards for heating and cooling rentals were part of the organisation's submission to a review of the WA Residential Tenancies Act.

But she said that even if it cooled or heated the house effectively, inefficient or expensive-to-run air conditioning could also be an issue for tenants.

"Energy efficiency is a big one," Ms Pennycott said.

"There's a significant impact on health and wellbeing if there's issues with mould and damp during the cooler months, but also in having to choose between putting aircon on and being able to afford groceries, particularly for low-income families.

"We put forward in ourquite detailedsubmissions around getting the minimum standards for energy efficiency and health.

"I'm still waiting to hear from the [state] government as to whether that's something that they are putting in.

"I would hope that it's something that they would consider."

A spokesperson from Consumer Protection said several submissions to the review of WA's residential tenancy laws raised the issue of cooling in rental properties.

"Stakeholders suggested that adequate cooling and ceiling fans should be a minimum requirement for homes in warmer parts of WA," the spokesperson said.

"Related issues around adequate home insulation, energy efficient homes and climate change were also raised during consultation."

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Should landlords be responsible for keeping tenants cool as Perth swelters through record heat? - ABC News