Two reports published by the US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL show that soft costs — such as financing and other non-hardware costs — now make up the largest section of solar installation costs, coming in at 64% … Continue reading →
In this 2013 report, new research by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group looks at companies that “walk the talk” in addressing significant sustainability concerns. So-called “Walkers” focus heavily on five fronts: sustainability strategy, business case, measurement, … Continue reading →
More companies are hiring sustainability professionals, with the green goods and services field increasing 5 percent from 2010 to 2011 to reach 3.4 million workers, but there’s still considerable room to grow, according to a report published by the McGraw … Continue reading →
The face of sustainability is changing, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group and MIT Sloan Management Review. In a worldwide survey of more than 1,000 executives and managers, BCG and Sloan took the pulse of sustainability efforts. … Continue reading →
What if there was a way to purify contaminated water in developing countries with a cost-effective method that’s both resourceful and effective? What if there was a way to provide clean drinking water to every thirsty mouth on the planet? … Continue reading →
Research breakthroughs have been pretty great for Mother Earth lately: We’re on the cusp of treating polluted water with little more than apple and tomato peels, and now Professor Edward Cocking from the University of Nottingham has created a new … Continue reading →
According to Fox Business reporter Shibani Joshi, renewables are successful in Germany and not in the U.S. because Germany has “got a lot more sun than we do.” Sure, California might get sun now and then, Joshi conceded during her … Continue reading →
A new proposal from Arizona’s ratepayer advocate seeks to resolve the hostility between utilities and solar advocates over net energy metering. Regulators “will look to us because their main function is to make sure residential ratepayers get fair treatment, and … Continue reading →
With all of the media attention paid of late to the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), it’d be easy to miss a related, if seemingly mundane, development: the recent release of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced … Continue reading →
I’ve sat through a number of City of San Antonio master planning meetings and workshops, including some of the many, well-attended brainstorming events for the Mayor’s SA2020 initiative. These sessions are long, often tedious “labors of love” for me and … Continue reading →
The UT Energy Poll seeks to provide an objective, authoritative look at consumer attitudes and perspectives on key energy issues. It is designed to help inform national discussion, business planning and policy development. The new initiative involved in understanding public … Continue reading →
What's in store for the future of energy? VERGE SF 2013 concluded with this 27 minute freewheeling discussion among sustainability heavyweights. The New York Times reporter Andy Revkin caught up with Amory Lovins, chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute and … Continue reading →
Top speed 50 mph, Range 125 miles, runs on compressed-air at a cost of 1 cent per mile and costs $10,000. In September 2013 it was announced that the car would be manufactured in Sardinia, Italy, for sale in summer … Continue reading →
In Texas' 21st century energy economy, San Antonio has it all. It enjoys abundant renewable resources, enabling CPS Energy to include solar-generated electricity in its generating portfolio. San Antonio also is the largest city in South Texas, home of the … Continue reading →
Getting your business or product “green certified” may seem like a smart way to show your customers and prospective customers that you adhere to environmentally friendly practices. But be careful. You could end up spending hundreds or even thousands of … Continue reading →
The transition from coal to natural gas is expected to significantly decrease carbon emissions. However, gas production poses its own environmental concerns. One of those is the problem of so-called “produced water”—large volumes of underground water with a lot of … Continue reading →
We know from experience that the twin objectives of jobs growth and a clean energy future go hand in hand. Research from CAP and the University of Massachusetts shows how investments in clean energy could revitalize our economy and create … Continue reading →
As the American economy begins to recover, some might argue that renewable energy has played a role. In Massachusetts, the clean energy industry has caused significant growth. Jobs in the state’s clean energy sector have increased by 24 percent since … Continue reading →
The Metropolitan Export Initiative (MEI) is a ground-up collaborative effort to help regional civic, business, and political leaders—with their states—create and implement customized Metropolitan Export Plans (MEPs). These localized export plans will apply market intelligence to develop targeted, integrated export-related … Continue reading →
A new technique developed by University of Toronto Engineering Professor Ted Sargent and his research group could lead to significantly more efficient solar cells. In a paper published in the journal Nano Letters, the group describes a new technique to … Continue reading →
