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Geothermal heat pumps and the direct utilization of geothermal resources represent a fast-growing alternative in the heating and cooling market. As demand for electricity expands throughout the world and energy prices increase, the direct use of geothermal, led primarily by heat pumps, is on the rise. An efficient and reliable option for residential, commercial, and institutional building owners, geothermal heat pumps exploit the nearly constant temperatures found just beneath the ground. While cost and lack of consumer awareness remain primary obstacles to increased adoption, tax incentives and policies supporting building efficiency improvements are helping to drive dramatic growth in the heat pump market.
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Source: PikeSearch
Photo: Wikipedia
The New York Times published a story on the growing trend of solar panel installations throughout New York City in its weekly "Appraisal" column. "Despite Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's ample use of the bully pulpit to promote his environmental agenda — and a raft of policy changes, generous incentive programs and celebrity-studded public announcements urging New Yorkers to "go green" — only a few homeowners in the city have slapped those shiny blue panels on their roofs."
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Source: New York Times
Photo: Inhabitat
SAN DIEGO—Solar photovoltaic panels installed on rooftops act as "roof shades" to keep buildings cool, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego engineering school. The researchers used data gathered from thermal imaging of a campus laboratory to determine that during the day, the building's ceiling was 5°F (2.8°C) cooler under solar panels than under an exposed roof. Also, at night, the panels provide thermal insulation to hold heat in. The research team calculated that the amount saved on cooling the building was equal to getting a 5% discount on the solar panels' price, over the panels' lifetime.
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Source: UCSD School of Engineering, ASHRAE
Photo source: UCSD School of Engineering
NYC Department of Buildings issued a bulletin which clarifies conditions under which an addition, alteration, renovation or repair to a building envelope may not be required to comply with the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC).
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Source: Department of Buildings
We often think of air conditioners as just that, a machine that conditions (i.e., cools) the air around us. But the effects of air conditioners reach far beyond atmospherics to the ways we build our houses, where in the country we live, and how we spend our time. Air conditioners are the enablers of modern American life.
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Source: The Atlantic
Picture source: The Atlantic
NEW YORK—Global investment in renewable energy totalled $243 billion in 2010, according to an index developed by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The "Corporate Renewable Energy Index" (CREX) is based on surveys of the world's 1,000 largest corporations based on market capitalization. Renewable energy investments in 2010 represent a significant increase over the $186 billion reported by the CREX for 2009. The CREX covers total energy consumption as well as renewable energy as a share of total energy consumption. The index also includes how corporations procure renewable energy, such as through renewable energy certificates (RECs), green pricing, carbon offsets, and direct investments.
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Source: ASHRAE, Vestas
Photo source: Vestas
The City of London Information Centre situated right in front of the iconic St Paul's Cathedral was designed and built by international studio Make Architects. The striking modern structure harnesses an impressive list of green building strategies including rainwater recycling, geothermal energy, and locally sourced and recycled materials.
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Source: Inhabitat
Photo: Ana Lisa Alperovich
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