Now that we’ve passed the deadline for all Proposition 39 (Prop-39) funding requests, Energy Expenditure Plans (EEPs) and EEP Amendments, what lies ahead for your school district? Timelines The well-published future deadlines for the program are: June 30, 2019: Funding Encumbrance Deadline June 30, 2020: Project Completion...
Zero Net Energy (ZNE) sounds very appealing doesn’t it? ZNE quickly implies energy self-sufficiency. Efficient energy use plus some solar PV panels to match equals “we are doing our part!!”. Seems simple. ZNE is hard. Sorry. Anyone who has got into the definitions and boundaries of ZNE...
A conversation between Jim Kelsey, President of kW Engineering and Jonathan Schoenfeld, Director of Energy and Analytics at Kodaro. Jim: At kW we’ve been cautious about jumping on the “analytics” train. Not because it’s not promising, but really because there have been so many options, so...
In California, our proverbial North Star has been Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), also known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, translating to 15% below emissions expected under a...
Maybe you’ve heard of the ASHRAE Audit Levels 1, 2 and 3. But did you know that, up until now, there was no real standard for an energy audit? That’s going to change this summer, when ASHRAE will publish the first, ANSI-compliant standard for energy audits...
I will not budge on two things. First, of Richard Kelly’s Three Components of Light, ‘play of brilliants’ is the best element of lighting design (who doesn’t love sparkle?). Second, smartphones are not light meters. Say it again with me. Smartphones are not light meters. Yes,...
I’ve found that one of the most effective tools in visualizing energy use is the heat map. I also find them beautiful. Call me an energy geek but visualizing energy use on a calendar is very effective for spotting scheduling energy savings and peak demand...
It’s 2018 and lighting controls are not standalone anymore. Owners, lighting designers and commissioning authorities need to recognize that lighting is a system, and controls are often networked. Now more than ever, it’s extremely important to practice sound lighting control design for efficiency, code as...
I became a commissioning (Cx) provider because I believe it makes a difference in the quality and efficiency of buildings. Title 24 (part 6) has the same goals. Unfortunately, as it stands the goal of efficient buildings through commissioning isn't being enforced as well as...
[Thanks to Supriya Goel, PNNL for your input!] BuildingSync might just be the first major advance in how we report energy audit results in a long time. I say this cautiously because I’ve seen plenty of prior efforts fall flat, and I’m a born skeptic at heart. I’m...