NYC Energy Map by Columbia U’s Modi Research Group Shows Statistical Energy Use by NYC Block
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Click on the image above to explore this fascinating interactive map of energy use by building across the city. Usage was calculated statistically, based on this study on spatial distribution of urban energy consumption (in other words, no utility records or private information was used). Congratulations to Professor Vijay Modi and PhD student Bianca Howard of the Modi Research Group at Columbia- the map’ been featured in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal and CNET.
Posted in Energy, Energy Efficiency, Global Warming, New York City | Permalink
On-Bill Recovery Coming January 30
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Starting January 30, New Yorkers will be able to conveniently finance energy-efficient upgrades to their homes through a charge on their electric bill. On average, this charge will be less than the money saved by the improvements, so participants should not see their bills rise on a yearly basis. And if you act soon, you won’t have any payments due until June 2012.
This is the new On-Bill Recovery Loan Program, which we explained in November. The program will be available to homeowners who are customers of Central Hudson Gas and Electric, Con Edison, Long Island Power Authority, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation, National Grid (upstate NY customers only), Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. The program will soon be offered to small businesses, not-for-profits, and multifamily building owners, although it is not yet available for these groups.
NYSERDA recently released the details of the On-Bill Recovery program, which offers lower interest rates than its current financing programs. For a rundown of the newly released details and an explanation of how the program will benefit you, continue reading after the jump.
Posted in Energy, Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, NYSERDA, Sustainability | Permalink
Catch “Burning In The Sun” this Sunday on PBS!
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012Back in 2009, Solar One was fortunate to host the World Premiere of “Burning In The Sun” as part of our Solar-Powered Film Series. Now the film is coming to your local airwaves as PBS will be airing it this Sunday, January 29th as part of their AfroPop series, hosted by Wyatt Cenac. In NYC, you can catch it at 8am, 2pm, 9pm and 2am on WLIW World or set your DVR to record one of those times (check your local listings for time/channel confirmation).
Directed by Cambria Matlow and Morgan Robinson and originally screened in collaboration with Rooftop Films and IFP, the film tells the story of 26-year-old Daniel Dembele, who decides to return to his homeland in Mali and start a local business building solar panels. As it follows his progress from startup to viable business, the film touches on themes of climate change, poverty, and African self-sufficiency. Check out the trailer:
Congratulations to Cambria and Morgan on getting their film in front of a nationwide audience! Also check out our update from March that features a 7-minute video by Morgan called “Burning In The States” focusing on the efforts of local NYC students building small-scale projects.
Posted in Energy, Film, Global Warming, Photovoltaics, Renewables, Solar One, Solar Power, Technology | Permalink
NYC Gets SunShot Award to Make It Easier to Install Solar
Thursday, January 19th, 2012The City University of New York (CUNY), on behalf of New York City, won a grant award in mid-December from the Rooftop Solar Challenge, a program of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support cutting the red tape involved with installing solar. The Rooftop Solar Challenge is part of SunShot, an ambitious initiative of the DOE to make solar cost competitive with other energy technologies without subsidies by the end of the decade. New York City was one of 22 state and municipal recipients of the award. Over the next two years, these 22 teams will implement step-by-step actions to standardize solar permitting processes, update planning and zoning codes, improve standards for connecting solar power to the electric grid, and increase access to financing.
The money awarded by the DOE is for SunShot NY, a two-phase $3.4 million dollar plan that aims to increase the accessibility and affordability of solar for New York City residents by driving down administrative costs.
Posted in Cleantech, Energy, Energy $mart Communities, New York City, Solar Power, Sustainability | Permalink
EVs in NYC: What Roll-out Strategies Work Best for the Big Apple?
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011| November 30, 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Join us this Wednesday for the 6th event of Solar One’s and NYC ACRE’s cleantech discussion series Clean Energy Connections: EVs in NYC: What Roll-out Strategies Work Best for the Big Apple?
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 7:00pm-9:00pm (doors open at 6:30p)
The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC
44 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
General Admission: $25, Students: $10
Register for your advanced tickets here
A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
New York City has the nation’s largest hybrid vehicle fleet and the best access to public transportation in the United States. City officials and Con Edison are planning for widespread adoption of electric vehicles and its impact on the electric grid. This event will focus on fleet-based approaches for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure challenges, and what this roll-out means for grid-scale storage and reliability issues.
A networking reception will follow the panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Opening Speakers:
- Christina Ficicchia, Executive Director, New York City and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities
- Keith Kerman, Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS); New York City’s first Chief Fleet Officer
Panelists:
- Brian Asparro, Chief Financial Officer, Green Charge Networks
- John Shipman, Department Manager, Electric Vehicle Programs, Con Edison
- Brett Gipe, Regional Sales Director, Eastern U.S. & Canada, Smith Electric Vehicles
- Anatol Feygin, Vice President, Energy Strategist, Loews Corporation
Moderator:
- David Leeds, Senior Manager, Smart Grid Research, Greentech Media
Can’t make it? Greentech Media is the media sponsor for this series and will host a free live web stream of this event at www.greentechmedia.com/
EVs in NYC is a part of the cleantech discussion series Clean Energy Connections. Clean Energy Connections is a program of Solar One and NYC ACRE at NYU-Poly that brings together professionals, policymakers, investors and academia to explore major topics shaping NYC’s blossoming cleantech industry, and provides an expert forum to share best practices and new inspirations.
Posted in Clean Energy Connections Blog, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Solar One Events, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation | Permalink
