• Thinking of Your Thermostat for Savings This Winter

    Updated: 2012-02-29 17:49:59
    Thinking of Your Thermostat for Savings This Winter February 28, 2012 15:48 This has certainly been an unusual winter for most of the country . Warmer temperatures and minimal snowfall totals have many hoping for an early spring . February on the east coast has been like a roller coaster ride , with temperatures plunging one day , then warm enough the next to skip the . coat In my home , I've spent the month trying to predict the ups and downs of the weather by adjusting my heater . constantly It's tempting to leave the thermostat on at a set temperature , so that the room is warm when returning home . Many assume this saves energy , because the heater won't have to work as hard to heat the room to the desired temperature . It's actually more efficient to heat your home just as you need ,

  • Renewable Energy Industry Leaps into Mainstream Power Generation

    Updated: 2012-02-29 16:22:14
    It’ a leap year and I am writing this on February 29th. This year we have one extra day to make our work count. It’ exciting and invigorating to me. #xD; There’ another exciting and invigorating development taking place this year. It is one that proves renewable energy has made it to the mainstream and it is happe

  • Nigeria, Energy Poverty and Renewable Energy

    Updated: 2012-02-27 14:00:00
    Nigeria’ decision to attain 15 percent renewable energy use by 2015 has been tagged to be a very proactive commitment. An important fact to note is that more than 60 percent of the nation’ population is not connected to the national grid and the remaining population can only boast an epileptic ower supply.  #xD; Apart from th

  • Have You Ever Participated in a Clean Energy Student Competition or Program?

    Updated: 2012-02-24 17:42:00
    LEDs : The Future of Lighting is Here Have You Ever Participated in a Clean Energy Student Competition or Program February 24, 2012 12:42 This week , Eric shared with us a plethora of education-centered competitions , challenges , and other programs sponsored by the U.S . Department of Energy . These programs are all designed to get students and graduates of all ages interested in , and prepared for , a career in clean . energy For example , engineering students can take part in Industrial Assessment Centers to conduct energy assessments in a broad range of manufacturing facilities . PhD recipients can apply for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Postdoctoral Research Awards to conduct applied research at universities , national laboratories , and other research facilities . Science

  • Obama Proposes Tax Reform, Making Renewables Credits Permanent

    Updated: 2012-02-23 18:39:23
    The US Federal Government is making another pitch for business-tax reform, and within that thrust it is underscoring its support for renewable energy.

  • EcoCAR 2 at the SAE Hybrid Vehicle Technologies Symposium

    Updated: 2012-02-23 16:42:20
    By Patrick Walsh, Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory As an engineer who is passionate about sustainable transportation, I was very charged up to attend and speak at the SAE Hybrid Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego this week. OEMs, suppliers and other companies at the forefront of hybrid vehicle engineering were all present to showcase [...]

  • The Big Question: What Can We Hope for in the Next 12 Months?

    Updated: 2012-02-23 14:00:00
    For its first Big Question feature of 2012, REW asked its readers to share their hopes and fears, opinions and predictions for the year ahead given the outcomes (or lack thereof) of the climate negotiations in Durban, ongoing shakeouts in major renewable energy sectors and the challenging global economic climate.

  • STUDENT ECO-ENGINEERING TEAMS ANNOUNCE PLUG-IN HYBRID ECOCAR ARCHITECTURES

    Updated: 2012-02-22 19:05:33
    More Than $745M in Software, Hardware and Cash Donations from Sponsors to Build Highly-Efficient Vehicles Detroit, Mich. (February 22, 2012) – Today, the 15 North American universities participating in EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future announced the vehicle architectures they will implement in their General Motors-donated 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The three-year EcoCAR 2 competition, [...]

  • Community Choice Aggregation Lets Cities Buy (Cleaner and Local) Electricity in Bulk

    Updated: 2012-02-22 14:00:00
    In 30 states, citizens have just one choice for their electricity service. It's like the old communist truism: "You can have any color car you want, as long as it's red." What if citizens could collectively shop around for electricity in bulk to get lower prices and cleaner, local power? In six states they can with community choice agg

  • Ontario leads Canada with installation of geothermal heat pump or “geo-exchange” systems, but residential lags commercial market

    Updated: 2012-02-21 01:47:43
    My latest Clean Break column reviews some fresh data on Canada’s geothermal heat pump or “geo-exchange” market. In a nutshell, Ontario is leading the provincial pack, commercial installations are thriving, the residential sector isn’t getting enough support, and cheap natural gas may be hurting sales. ———————————- Tyler Hamilton Wind and solar technologies may hog the [...]

  • Thanks, George Washington, for the Energy Efficient Washing Machine!

    Updated: 2012-02-20 11:00:00
    , , Energy Department Makes a Difference Helping Students’ Careers Thanks , George Washington , for the Energy Efficient Washing Machine February 20, 2012 06:00 For many of us , particularly those living east of the Mississippi river , President's Day weekend is not just a time to honor the birthday of our country's founding father , it's also the final escape from dreadfully cold and snowy days . However , those of us with pestering consumerist habits to feed always ensure our return to the metropolis by Monday , as the day is quickly taking on a new reputation : Second best shopping day of the year , after Black . Friday By now you're asking , What does any of this have to do with energy savings Well , we've talked before about Black Friday savings on ENERGY STAR® appliances and given

  • UW Gets a Little Design Help from A123

    Updated: 2012-02-17 17:27:15
    Engineering is a highly iterative process.  Sometimes new data causes an entire redesign, often for the better. University of Washington EcoCAR 2 team members have devised several iterations of a battery cooling system, but with A123 Systems’ help, they’ve finally hit the mark. Four engineers are designing a system to cool the battery pack for [...]

  • How Did You Celebrate Valentine's Day Efficiently?

    Updated: 2012-02-16 22:06:00
    Thanks , George Washington , for the Energy Efficient Washing Machine How Did You Celebrate Valentine's Day Efficiently February 16, 2012 17:06 Perhaps you took the bus to dinner instead of driving , kept the television off for the night , or used candles instead of lights Maybe you bought your sweetheart an ENERGY STAR® rated computer television or appliance Or maybe you tried tracking your fuel economy using the fueleconomy.gov Your MPG mobile tool as Amanda recommended in Tuesday's post Tell us what you did to save energy this Valentine's day Each week , you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers . Please comment with your answers , and also feel free to respond to other . comments Categories : Appliances

  • Fuel Economy Valentines

    Updated: 2012-02-14 16:05:00
    How Did You Celebrate Valentine's Day Efficiently Fuel Economy Valentines February 14, 2012 11:05 What's more romantic this Valentine's Day than taking a drive with your sweetheart In fact , for most people this holiday , the plans will include some kind of travel , to a restaurant , show , or weekend getaway . Anytime spent on the road can be a great time to track your vehicle's fuel economy , and fueleconomy.gov has a tool to help you do just that Once you enter the Your MPG tool and select the make and model of your vehicle , you'll choose a way to keep track of your fill-ups at the pump , recording your odometer and or the amount of fuel you put in your vehicle . The tool then calculates your gallons per mile and saves this information in your account you can log back in anytime to

  • How Efficient is Your Fireplace?

    Updated: 2012-02-10 16:21:00
    TV or Not TV How Efficient is Your Fireplace February 10, 2012 11:21 In the middle of winter , fireplaces are a popular topic . This week , Ernie talked about re-building his dual-sided fireplace and adding a damper and tempered-glass doors in the process . In the heating urban myth debate , Elizabeth shared her former roommate's assumption that using a gas fireplace to heat a single room would be more efficient than a central heating system not necessarily it depends on your utility rates We have several blog entries that talk about using your fireplace efficiently , and we provide some tips on our seasonal website How efficient is your fireplace Is it gas or wood-burning Do you have tempered glass doors , an efficient damper , or other devices to keep it from losing heat when you're not

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