Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

VECAN Spring Summit

 

 

 

The June 3rd Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network Spring Summit is coming right up, and we hope you plan to join us! We also are excited to share a few updates that might make it even more enticing to do so…

 

After light breakfast fare and informal networking, we […]

Highlights of EIA’s Latest “Electric Power Monthly” Report

SUN DAY CAMPAIGN SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM EIA’S LATEST “ELECTRIC POWER MONTHLY” REPORT (released April 25, 2023), https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly

 

Solar Was the Fastest Growing Source of Electricity in the U.S. in January-February 2023 The latest issue of EIA’s “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through February 28, 2023) reveals that in the first two months […]

U.S. House’s Repeal of Energy-Saving Investments Would Raise Household Costs

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released the following statement from Steven Nadel, its executive director, in response to the U.S. House of Representatives passing HR 1, which would repeal key energy efficiency and electrification investments from the Inflation Reduction Act:

“This bill would leave many Americans continuing to live in homes with […]

Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity & Department of Energy Webinar Series

 

Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) is hosting a series of training webinars for potential applicants to the Department of Energy’s Building Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP). The prize is awarding over $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams with winning ideas to accelerate equitable energy efficiency and building electrification […]

Home Heating Prices Are Rising, but States & Utilities Can Lower Costs with Energy Upgrades

By Mark Rodeffer, ACEEE Press Secretary

Many U.S. households will pay significantly more for home heating costs—sometimes hundreds of dollars more—this winter. The burden falls disproportionately to low-income and Black, Hispanic, and Native American households, which pay a much larger share of their income on energy bills. Amid the rising costs, policymakers, regulators, […]

Improving Sustainable Building Practices with BIM

Rose Morrison

Global warming is no longer something humans can ignore. Rising oceans, temperatures and extreme weather have already negatively affected coastal areas on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and everywhere in between. The time has come to start thinking sustainably for the future.

Building information modeling (BIM) benefits sustainable construction. […]

Book Review: Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller Than Average

Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller Than Average by Sheri Koones. Published by Gibbs Smith, Layton, UT, 2022

Reviewed by Janis Petzel, M.D.

When my husband and I decided to build our house in 2013, we loved the idea of a tiny house, for energy efficiency, mindful use of space, and their cuteness. But […]

Energy Efficient Refrigeration

Wes Golomb

After heating and cooling, two of the larger residential energy consuming devices are the refrigerator and freezer. It’s no wonder. These appliances are used 24/7 accounting for about 17% of residential energy consumption.

Incremental improvements in the cooling process and the thermal performance are continually making refrigerators and freezers […]

Hazards from Using Natural Gas in your Home

Cookstoves, Heat, Hot Water and Pipelines

It is estimated that up to 1.3% of the gas used in stoves leaks into the atmosphere. This seems trivial, but since there are more than 40 million gas stoves in the U.S., the emissions have about the same climate change effect as the carbon dioxide from […]

Warm and Cool Homes #4: The House That Jack Built

Jack Bingham’s house in Barrington, NH (Jack Bingham)

Wes Golomb

Jack Bingham’s house is a direct result of the research he conducted at the University of New Hampshire on how heat pumps can make greenhouses usable in the winter. Most greenhouses are either shut down in winter or are inefficiently heated […]