Commercial, Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, GHG Emissions, Regulation, Utilities, Regulation, Solar, Wind  -  September 9, 2023

Weekend Reads: A Boiler Revolution; Ukraine War Accelerates Renewables

It’s the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:

Renewable energy sector faces test as projects near end of life (Bloomberg Law)  As wind and solar development speeds up across the country, more states are running into questions about how to responsibly decommission or repower projects at the end of their lives. In the absence of federal guidelines, more than two-thirds of US states have requirements for decommissioning or renewing wind and solar projects at the end of their first life cycles, according to a report from law firm Lewis Roca. Regulations usually protect the private property where projects are developed, the report says.

Google vet wants to turn your hot water heater into a "virtual power plant" (Axios)  Rick Klau spent nine years as a partner with Google Ventures, before leaving in 2020 to become California's chief technology innovation officer. Now he's back in the private sector with a startup that wants to revolutionize the humble hot water heater. Klau is co-founder of Onsemble, which this week announced $3 million in seed funding and a rollout in three Northern California counties. The basic idea is to turn residential boilers into what's become known as virtual power plants — an aggregated group of connected devices whose usage is coordinated with electric grid operators.

The Ukraine War has accelerated research into lithium-ion battery alternatives (Insider)  Russia's war in Ukraine has had a peculiar but positive result: A newly invigorated push across Europe to rely less on Russia's crude oil and to hit its renewable energy goals. It has also spurred research into safer alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries used in the ever-expanding electric vehicle market.

ICC program aims to help buildings implement energy, hazard-resistant codes, meet decarbonization goals (Utility Dive)  The International Code Council has introduced a new program to support the enforcement and implementation of building codes. Known as Building Capacity for Resilient and Sustainable Buildings, the initiative intends to help communities strengthen the resilience of buildings to climate change impacts and meet decarbonization goals. The ICC said this endeavor is part of Buildings Breakthrough, which seeks to expedite the journey toward achieving near-zero emissions by 2030.

Energy efficiency detectives help Miami-Dade buildings cut power bills and carbon emissions (Miami Herald) The iconic, pyramid-shaped office building at 550 Biltmore Way has presided over the Coral Gables skyline since 1986. And, at the top of the pyramid, two hulking, 180-ton air conditioning units have been cooling the air inside since the building first opened four decades ago. Aging machines like these, which operate less efficiently than newer models, can add thousands of dollars to a building’s annual utility bill — especially in a year that is on pace to break South Florida heat records. They also use more energy, raising carbon emissions and contributing to climate change.

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