Energy Priorities [Podcasts]

Sustainable Cities: There's an App for That!

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:21:49 -0800

Sustainable urban development is a new way of thinking for American cities. Technology is emerging to help planners, architects and residents make the transition -- and address the converging pressures of rapid growth and decaying infrastructure. The question isn't whether to use technology to make cities more sustainable, it's how best to use it. Three experts on sustainably built cities discuss the answers with Denis Du Bois.

Book Review: Enchantment - The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:00:09 -0800

Guy Kawasaki, author of the New York Times bestseller, talks to Denis Du Bois about how to make energy efficient appliances as "enchanting" as Apple's iPad.

Greenbuild 2010 - "Generation Green"

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:27:26 -0800

When it comes to buildings, Chicago has already done "tallest, biggest, and longest." Now Chicago wants to be the "greenest". We'll find out how they're raising the bar for all the other cities aiming for that same distinction.

Plus: From America's biggest green-building expo, do-it-yourself 3D energy & carbon modeling -- dark sunglasses for buildings -- and devices that charge themselves up -- all in this edition of Energy Priorities. (podcast)(transcript)(photos)

Sustaindinavia: Copenhagen's Integrated Approach to Energy

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:28:54 -0800

Sustainable cities -- every mayor wants one. They attract green businesses, and the career-minded people who want to work there. Just proclaiming a community "green," though, isn't nearly enough. Forward-thinking cities are walking the talk. We went looking for examples in Copenhagen, Denmark. The secret to their success is integrating energy production right into the city. Learn how Copenhagen stopped worrying about the garbage and started becoming a carbon-neutral city.

Clean Tech Job Trends 2010 - Interview with Ron Pernick

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:00:45 -0800

Denis Du Bois interviews Ron Pernick, founder and managing partner of research firm Clean Edge, about the "Clean Tech Job Report 2010" released today (6 Oct 2010). Pernick discusses the U.S. cities that are hot spots for cleantech job creation, the payscales for those green jobs, the global picture for cleantech employment growth, the role of China, and how the United States can get its innovation mojo back. Meanwhile, since foreign companies will be creating a majority of green collar jobs, those jobs might as well be in the U.S. (podcast)

Back to School for Energy Efficiency

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:01:20 -0800

It's back to school for those left unemployed by the recession, and lots of people are signing up for green job training. Plus: Schools are turning out one textbook case after another of energy efficient buildings. And some buildings are so intelligent, they're teaching themselves how to be more energy efficient.

Keeping a Watchful Eye over Energy Use - Building Priorities Briefing

Thu, 20 May 2010 09:38:57 -0800

Thanks to new laws, buyers and tenants of large buildings in some areas are entitled to know a building's energy score before they complete their purchase or lease. How long before the U.S. catches up to Europe, where buildings will be labeled according to their energy consumption? Is simply reporting a score meaningful, if there aren't also requirements to improve energy efficiency? Can cities achieve their carbon-related goals without imposing both kinds of rules on businesses? Denis Du Bois interviews Phil Bomrad, Director, Building Technologies, Siemens. (podcast)

Continuous Commissioning - Energy:Minute

Wed, 19 May 2010 09:07:25 -0800

Continuous commissioning goes by many names. It's a way of making sure building systems are running at peak efficiency. Learn about it, in a minute. (podcast)

New Models for Rooftop Solar Power - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:08:22 -0800

Southern California Edison has launched one of the most ambitious solar initiatives yet. It involves using the roofs of commercial buildings to develop renewable energy resources. Building owners get paid to host the solar arrays on their rooftops, and the utility takes all the risk. Where else is this kind of program happening? Why would a building owner choose this over the other alternatives for rooftop solar? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois and guest co-host Stephen Lacey decipher the impact for owners, tenants, and solar companies. Denis interviews the corporate sustainability executive for AMB Property Corporation, who just joined SCE's new program. (podcast)

Rooftop Solar Ownership Models - Energy:Minute

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:00:01 -0800

When you see solar modules on the roof of a building, they might not actually belong to the building's owner. Two common ownership scenarios have been around for several years. Lately, utilities have been devising new ownership models, to meet renewable energy requirements in their states. Learn the differences, in a minute. (podcast)

AMB Leases Warehouse Roof to Energy Utility

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Southern California Edison has announced three large installations of utility-owned solar on buildings. The latest of those is a warehouse owned by AMB Property Corporation. Denis Du Bois interviews Aaron Binkley, LEED AP, AMB's Director of Sustainability Programs. He's a registered architect and AMB's resident expert on energy, sustainability, and green building.

Zero Energy Buildings, Blocks, and Cities - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:59:23 -0800

Imagine a building so energy efficient that it can generate what power it needs with the solar modules on its own roof -- a net zero energy building. It's not a pipe dream. We've been building them in the United States for a decade. The U.S. Department of Energy wants the "ZEB" to be the standard for new buildings. Why is it important to match renewable energy output with the demand for power on a building-by-building basis? And after ten years of zero-energy design, why do we only have eight buildings to show for it? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois talks with David Orr, who designed and built the largest zero-energy building in the U.S. If you think that's cool, wait until you hear what Orr is doing for an encore.

Zero Energy Buildings - "Zero" of What? - Energy:Minute

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:47:50 -0800

"Zero energy" is a term we'll see applied to more and more buildings. It means the building produces as much energy on site as it uses. But that's not the whole story. There are many variations. Learn what they mean, in a minute.

Revealing Ratings to Validate Value of Energy Efficient Space - Building Priorities Briefing

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:10:19 -0800

What do Seattle, Austin and New York have in common? They've all enacted regulations to expose energy-wasting buildings. Owners of large buildings will have to disclose their energy scores to prospective buyers, tenants and lenders. Similar laws have been passed in three states -- and more are on the way. In this month's briefing we explore what's driving these mandates, and how they affect building owners and tenants. Some building owners are making improvements now, to raise their energy scores before they're made public. What's the business case? We'll learn about that, as well as where are the best places to look for low-cost and no-cost ways to boost a building's efficiency score. (podcast) (transcript)

How Green Are the 2010 Winter Olympics? - Building Priorities Briefing

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

The 2010 Games are being dubbed the "Sustainable Olympics," but is Vancouver BC setting any world records? In this month's Briefing we examine some lessons from the global spectacle. First we look at the venues that Canada constructed for the upcoming Winter Games, to see if they win any green medals. Seven years after winning the bid, we find Canadians are not entirely happy about the upcoming games. Green business guru Martin Westerman shares his thoughts about how to really make the games green. (podcast)