Renewable Energy

The US Department of Energy (DoE) believes the nation can save as much as $10 billion in annual grid costs by 2030, simply by tripling the existing deployment of virtual power plants (VPPs). As the US ramps up sustainability processes in line with environmental targets VPPs are becoming an increasingly important factor in their success. […]

Like most of the projects Elon Musk is involved in, the plans laid out for the Tesla Gigafactory are on another scale to other net zero buildings and the project has rewritten the rules on how to design, build, and operate a facility. Covering a footprint of approximately 5.4 million square feet, for comparison that […]

On Tuesday September 12th, last week, New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams launched “Getting 97 Done,” a new strategy to cut harmful carbon emissions from the city’s many large buildings as obliged under Local Law 97 of 2019. The plan aims to deliver the goals outlined in the broader “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done,” New […]

The SEE Institute is a flagship for net zero buildings in Dubai Sustainable City, an environmentally responsible mixed-use and residential district in the desert. The 50,000 square foot net zero commercial building will be dedicated to the advancement of sustainability knowledge, technology, and innovations through research, training, events and incubation of tech startups working on […]

In this Research Note, we examine UrbanVolt, a clean energy partner for small to medium-sized commercial and industrial businesses that specialises in the provision of energy-efficient lighting and solar panels, without the burden of upfront costs. Founded in 2015 in Dublin, Irish Republic, UrbanVolt gained an early foothold in the LED Lighting-as-a-Service sector. Instead of […]

In this Research Note, we examine Nostromo, the Israeli public company developing Behind-the-Meter thermal energy storage solutions for commercial buildings. Founded in 2017, Nostromo Energy is a developer of sustainable energy storage and energy demand management solutions for commercial buildings that use chiller-based air conditioning. The system is based on proprietary IceBrick encapsulated ice cells […]

If our buildings were 100% powered by renewable energy then there would be no reason for energy efficiency, BUT achieving 100% renewable energy-powered buildings will be easier if those buildings are energy efficient. These are the two sides of the sustainability discussion around building operations but, more often than not, energy efficiency takes center stage […]

Completed in 2017, the Freiburg City Hall was one of the world’s first public net zero buildings. It generates more energy than it consumes. Designed by the Düsseldorf-based architectural practice Ingenhoven architects and constructed over a period of 33 months, the 24,215 m² new city hall accommodates 840 employees over six floors. It is characterized […]