Energy Efficiency Markets Podcast

realenergywriters

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Two seasoned energy writers follow the energy efficiency market, which is poised for major growth in North America. They provide news and analysis, and explain how businesses can make money by reducing their electricity use. Sign up for the free newsletter, Energy Efficiency Markets, by visiting www.energyefficiencymarkets.com

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385 episodes

Why Do Americans Want From Energy Efficiency

What do Americans want from their investments in energy efficiency? First of all, they want cost savings. Miles Meehan, a spokesman for HomeServeUSA, gives details of a new poll conducted by Harris of 2,100 Americans.

1s
Mar 25, 2016
Big Efficiency Gains in Tiny Rhode Island

Why are National Grid's energy efficiency programs so successful in Rhode Island? Laura Rodormer and Matthew Ray, senior strategic business analysts at National Grid, describe the popular efficiency programs--plus the company's solar program. Customers who achieve high levels of energy efficiency are eligible for higher payments (approximately 40 cents/kWh) if they produce solar under National Grid's program, which does not involve net metering.

1s
Mar 02, 2016
Don't Swap Wives; Swap Energy Management Teams

If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast, Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco.

1s
Feb 22, 2016
Don't Swap Wives; Swap Energy Management Teams

If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast, Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco.

1s
Feb 18, 2016
NV Energy Wants More Efficiency, But Regulators Cut Programs

NV Energy wants more efficiency--but regulators in Nevada want less. That's the ironic situation in Nevada. Last July, NV Energy said its residential lighting programs in southern Nevada were so popular--three times the utility’s initial projections--that it wanted to add more money to the program mid-year. It also wanted to boost its LED lighting program between 2016-2018, but the program was eliminated by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.

1s
Feb 12, 2016
Who Are The Ubers of Energy & How Do They Create Brands?

In this podcast, Fridrik Larsens, CEO of Larsen Energy Branding--likely the first CEO in the world to get a Ph.D in energy branding—defines energy branding and explains why many companies are doing a bad job of establishing a clear, consistent and compelling brand.

1s
Jan 05, 2016
Disruptive Energy Provides Benefits--and Confusion

Disruptive energy technologies provide many opportunities to cut energy bills in commercial buildings—but the many options are leaving building owners confused, resulting in missed opportunities. Mach Energy president Jon Moeller discusses a new survey in this podcast.

1s
Dec 23, 2015
What Consumers Say About Smart Grid Applications

Patty Durand, executive director, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, shares the results of a study that categorizes consumers in terms of how they use--or avoid--smart grid applications. The most recent version of the study includes in-depth, on-camera interviews with consumers.

1s
Dec 20, 2015
What Consumers Say About Smart Grid Applications

Patty Durand, executive director, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, shares the results of a study that categorizes consumers in terms of how they use--or avoid--smart grid applications. The most recent version of the study includes in-depth, on-camera interviews with consumers.

1s
Dec 20, 2015
This Technology Helps Power Sensors for the Internet of things

Energy harvesting can power the many sensors that are associated with the Internet of Things, says Terry Pennisi, CEO and founder of Jennova in this podcast interview (click on the player above to listen). When there's energy available as the result of fans or motors running, this energy can be harvested to power things like sensors that send data to the Internet, he explains.

1s
Dec 07, 2015
This Technology Helps Power Sensors for the Internet of things

Energy harvesting can power the many sensors that are associated with the Internet of Things, says Terry Pennisi, CEO and founder of Jennova in this podcast interview (click on the player above to listen). When there's energy available as the result of fans or motors running, this energy can be harvested to power things like sensors that send data to the Internet, he explains.

1s
Dec 07, 2015
This Technology Helps Power Sensors for the Internet of things

Energy harvesting can power the many sensors that are associated with the Internet of Things, says Terry Pennisi, CEO and founder of Jennova in this podcast interview (click on the player above to listen). When there's energy available as the result of fans or motors running, this energy can be harvested to power things like sensors that send data to the Internet, he explains.

1s
Dec 07, 2015
This Technology Helps Power Sensors for the Internet of things

Energy harvesting can power the many sensors that are associated with the Internet of Things, says Terry Pennisi, CEO and founder of Jennova in this podcast interview (click on the player above to listen). When there's energy available as the result of fans or motors running, this energy can be harvested to power things like sensors that send data to the Internet, he explains.

1s
Dec 07, 2015
Energy-Harvesting Sensors Eliminate Need for Batteries in Some Applications

Energy-harvesting sensors that are made of fabric and eliminate the need for batteries in some applications are the focus of this podcast interview with Keith McMillen, CEO and founder of BeBop Sensors. Listen by clicking on the player above.

1s
Nov 24, 2015
Efficient Motors Cut Energy 50% to 80%, Same Cost

Energy efficient motors can cut energy costs by 50% to 80% compared to older technologies. Even better, they can do that at the same cost as motors that use old-style technologies, says PJ Piper, president and CEO of QM Power in this podcast interview.

1s
Oct 26, 2015
Helping Small Energy Efficiency Companies Tap into the Market

About 97 percent of the energy efficiency market is untapped due to the difficulty finding investors and other issues, says Dennis Quinn, COO of Joule Assets. And that’s a big market: nearly $279 billion in the US, he says. In this podcast, Quinn and Richard Jones, senior vice president of Hartford Steam Boiler explain how they’re going to help solve the problem by boosting investor confidence in projects. The two companies announced a portfolio-wide insurance product designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises.

1s
Oct 19, 2015
Existing Denver Multi-Family Buildings Invest in EE to Stay Competitive

USGBC Colorado has seen a number of existing multi-family building owners invest in energy efficiency recently.“The new level of attention these leading multi-family buildings are paying to energy efficiency through their voluntary participation in the Denver City Energy Project (DCEP) points to a new trend that multi-family properties are establishing towards increased investment in energy efficiency,” said Patti Mason, Executive Director, USGBC Colorado. “This positive effort and investment will benefit Denver’s triple bottom line for decades to come."

1s
Oct 05, 2015
Are Government Energy Efficiency Mandates Ineffective?

Government energy efficiency mandates--especially those relating to appliances--are clunky and ineffective, says Ted Gayer, Brookings Institution vice president of economic studies. The costs outweigh the benefits, he says. It would make more economic sense to tax energy use or companies that produce pollution. Learn more about Gayer's views here: http://www.brookings.edu/research/testimony/2015/04/30-energy-efficiency-legislation-gayer

1s
May 26, 2015
How are Solar Plus Storage Helping Ease Drought Problems?

How are solar plus energy storage helping alleviate problems created by the drought in California? Neil Fromer, executive director, Resnick Institute of Sustainability at Caltech, explains the link between water availability and energy generation.

1s
May 05, 2015
Which Ethnic Group Invests Most in Energy Efficiency?

Which ethnic group invests most in energy efficiency? How to homeowners link solar and energy efficiency? Learn the answers to these questions by listening to this interview with Dave Treston, senior account planner at KSV, who give details about a recent energy efficiency study by KSV.

1s
Apr 28, 2015
Consumers Cut Energy Use Up to 15% With Pre-Pay Energy

When we get a message from our cell phone provider that we're about to go over our limits, we generally cut back our calls. That's also true of consumers who opt for pre-pay energy, says Jamie Wimberly, CEO of Distributed Energy Financial Group, which has released a study showing that consumer like pre-pay energy and cut their energy use by up to 15% with it.

1s
Apr 21, 2015
Energy Storage Market in California No Longer a Pilot Project

In 2013, Before California's initiative requiring utilities to install 1,325 MW of energy storage, the market was just in test phases. But now, the market has really heated up and energy storage competes with other sources of energy. Mike Hopkins, CEO of Ice Energy, gives his perspective on the state of the market in California--and the contracts his company has won.

1s
Apr 07, 2015
Benefits of a "Nodal Microgrid:" Energize Ithaca Project

In Ithaca, NY, Herbert Dwyer, president and CEO, ASI Energy, is developing the state's first "nodal microgrid," which is being built in phases. The project combines CHP with solar to provide heat and electricity. In this podcast, Dwyer explains the reasoning behind the "nodal" concept and its benefits.

1s
Mar 31, 2015
Saving Energy, Donating to Those Who Need It?

Here's an interesting idea: creating a system that allows people to save energy, and then donate the amount saved to someone else who needs it! A new project, "Community First! Village" takes a step in that direction. Listen to our interview with Michele Negley, vice president, southern region, CLEAResult.

1s
Mar 31, 2015
Popular Behavior Change App Yields 9% to 10% Energy Savings

People Power's Presence Pro Energy Pilot Program--whose app was a Number One seller in the Apple store--has yielded 9% to 10% energy savings. The program first attracts participants with programs that allow them to monitor pets and relatives at home, then adds energy efficiency. Gene Wang, CEO of People Power, explains.

1s
Mar 17, 2015
Testing The Powers of Microgrids in College Project

A project at Las Positas College in Livermore, funded by a $1.5 million grant from the California Energy Commission, will test the powers of energy storage and microgrids to integrate renewable energy sources, curb peak power and take a mission-critical circuit off-grid. Herve Mazzocco, vice president of solutions for Imergy Power Systems, describes the project.

1s
Mar 10, 2015
Can California Double Efficiency of Existing Buildings?

Can California double the efficiency of existing buildings? Lauren Faber, west coast political director for the Environmental Defense Fund, describes California's new package of bills aimed at fighting climate change, including an effort to double the energy efficiency of existing buildings.

1s
Mar 02, 2015
Energy Efficiency Creates Jobs in North Carolina

Building efficiency and energy storage are creating jobs in North Carolina, according to the 2014 North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census, which showed about 25% annual job growth in clean energy overall since 2012, outpacing growth of other industries in the state. Ivan Urlaub, executive director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, explains the gains in the energy efficiency industry revealed in the report.

1s
Feb 24, 2015
What's The Difference Between Community Solar & Green Power

With PG&E planning to offer solar as both a community solar and green power program, we asked what's the difference--and who would be interested in community solar instead of green power. Erica Schroeder McConnell, attorney for Interstate Renewable Energy Council, answers the question in this podcast.

1s
Feb 17, 2015
Super Bowl Goes Green with LED Lighting

This year's Super Bowl was the first Super Bowl played under LED lighting. What are the advantages to LED lighting in stadiums? What are the biggest energy users in sports stadiums, which generally consume huge amounts of electricity? What are the best ways to green them? Jim Fitzpatrick, business development manager for CLEAResult, answers these questions in this podcast.

1s
Feb 09, 2015