energy efficiency

Research Institutions Receive EPA Grants to Explore Impacts of the Energy Transition on Underserved Communities

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Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 9/5/2023 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $11 million dollars in research grant awards to 11 education and research entities. The funding is to be used for researching the financial and environmental impacts of the transition away from fossil fuels in Tribal and other underserved communities. The funding comes at … Read more

Are You a Star Wars or Star Trek Fan? 

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Nunzio Peleggi, Zondits guest, 8/1/2023 Star Date 2023: The need to hyper speed or warp speed, or the deployment of clean power and grid infrastructure. If you’re a Star Trek fan, then it’s Warp speed, if you’re a Star Wars fan, then it’s hyper speed.  Both allow you to travel faster than the speed of … Read more

From Snowman to Sun-powered: After a Hundred Years, My Old Maine House Gets Heat Pumps

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Camryn Hansen, Zondits guest, 7/25/2023 After years of considering heat pumps and hearing from a series of contractors that my house was not a good candidate, I took the plunge and installed them anyway. I’ve now lived with my heat pumps for a full year, and here’s the rundown.  I live in Portland, Maine in … Read more

AESP National Conference Recap – A Thought Leadership Effort

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Karys Arisohn, Zondits staff, 4/28/2023 New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinctive music, Creole cuisine, unique dialects, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The National AESP Conference was celebrated a week after Fat Tuesday, Feb. 27- March 2 at the Marriott on Canal Street in the historic heart of the city, a … Read more

Utility Bill Triage & Standby Rates

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Matt Arisohn, Zondits guest, 4/25/2023 Matt Arisohn is the President at Next Energy World, LLC where he works with commercial customers to obtain higher energy efficiency levels, install clean energy systems, and reduce costs. This article has been edited from a blog entry posted by Matt, https://new-sustainability.com/f/utility-bill-triage-standby-rates. During this past winter, electric and natural gas … Read more

Zondits Exclusive: An Interview With the Owner of the ‘Take a Nap’ Store

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Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/1/2023 Zondits was recently in Florida covering a national clean energy conference when we learned that the retailer Take a Nap (TAN) was stockpiling gas cook stoves in anticipation of federal government restrictions. For reasons that will become clear, TAN operates much like a speakeasy, but Zondits had a line on … Read more

Ask the Expert: Smart Panels

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Mark D’Antonio, Zondits staff, 3/1/2023 Zondits spoke with Mark D’Antonio, an industry expert in clean technology approaches to decarbonizing the built environment. I’m in the process of designing a net zero home with solar, battery storage, electric appliances, and heat pumps for heating and hot water. I will also have an EV charger system. I … Read more

“With today’s proposals, we’re building on a decades-long effort with industry to ensure tomorrow’s appliances work more efficiently and save Americans money.”

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Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said, “With today’s proposals, we’re building on a decades-long effort with industry to ensure tomorrow’s appliances work more efficiently and save Americans money. Over the last 40 years, at the direction of Congress, DOE has worked to promote innovation, improve consumers’ options, and raise efficiency standards for household appliances without … Read more

Heat Pumps – The Market in the Northeast Heats Up in Two Ways

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Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 2/21/2023 “The battle has just begun. Stay tuned.” What’s that about? The 2024 election? Spy balloons? Vaccines? Heck no, it’s about how we choose to heat our homes. That statement comes from a consultant with the National Oilheat Research Alliance. There is a battle brewing over the growing heat pump market … Read more

U.S. Production of Solar PV Panels Get a Booster Shot

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Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 1/26/2023 The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping to expand the production of photovoltaic (PV) panels in the U.S. and ease the tariff-related tensions regarding the growth of solar electric energy worldwide. The South Korean PV manufacturer Qcells has announced a $2.5 billion expansion of their facility in Georgia … Read more