Was COP28 a Success? It Depends on Who You Ask 

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 1/9/2024 At the close of 2023, 100,000 individuals representing nearly 200 nations met in Dubai to negotiate an updated climate action agreement at the United Nations COP28 conference. The UN Climate Change Conference – United Arab Emirates | UNFCCC, officially known as the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties, … Read more

Modular Nuke Plant Project Canceled Due to Soaring Costs

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 12/19/2023 Just as the Biden administration announced a new international effort to expand nuclear power generation (https://phys.org/news/2023-12-triple-nuclear-power-cop28.html), a key project toward reviving nuclear power in the U.S. has been canceled due to cost overruns. The Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), designed by NuScale Power, was to be the first of its … Read more

Heat Pumps and Refrigerants, It’s Complicated 

Emily Collins, Zondits guest, 12/12/2023 It’s fair to say that heat pumps have become a thing in the green energy ethos. In 2022, the U.S. Heat Pump Market was valued at 12 Billion USD and is anticipated to reach 165 Billion USD by 2032. The projection is staggering but not unrealistic. With more than 17 … Read more

Smackover – Exxon Mobile Enters the Lithium Market 

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 11/30/2023 With the purchase of a 120,000-acre site in Arkansas that sits above the giant Smackover Formation, a huge limestone aquifer spanning 600 miles across several states from Texas to Florida, Exxon Mobil (Exxon) plans to become a major U.S. supplier of lithium. Lithium is a critical element in modern rechargeable … Read more

Biden Administration Awards $7 Billion for Seven New Hydrogen Hubs

hydrogen hubs

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 11/7/2023 The Biden administration is making good on its pledge to invest billions in “clean” hydrogen, with the announcement of $7 billion in awards for regional hydrogen hubs. The funding was included in the 2021 Infrastructure Law to establish multiple regional hubs to produce hydrogen for fuel, agricultural, and industrial uses. … Read more

Demand-Side Resiliency Reduces Risk and Insurance Costs

Demand side resiliency

Peter F. Hoffman, C.E.M., LEED AP, Zondits guest, 10/30/2023 This article has been amended from a version previously published on LinkedIn: Demand-Side Resiliency leading to risk mitigation and reduced insurance costs under a traditional Energy Efficiency programmatic framework Utilities invest significantly in the resilience of the electrical and natural gas transmission and distribution systems in … Read more

The Rise of Sustainable Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow HVAC Systems

Matt Blocker, Zondits guest, 8/22/2023 Matt is Senior Manager of Commercial Product Development at Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US. With threats from climate change increasing rapidly, everything feasible must be done to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The HVAC industry plays an important role in these efforts. Changes in refrigerants for commercial HVAC systems are … Read more

California Introduces Graduated Income-Based Electric Rates

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 8/15/2023 For most California residents, electric rates will soon be based partly on customer income levels. A controversial law passed last year required regulators to establish the new rate structure by the summer of 2024. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now considering several proposals detailing how the new rates … Read more

The Custom Conundrum: Accelerating Building Electrification

GianGabriel Masoni Dobles, Zondits staff, 6/27/2023 Valerie Nibler, Zondits contributor Energy efficiency efforts have made a significant shift toward building electrification in recent years, as the transition to clean renewable energy sources has moved front and center. For single-family homes, the effort has focused on heat pumps for space and water heating as well as … Read more