Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Dozens of towns and cities in California, Washington, Colorado and Oregon have already effectively banned gas in most new buildings.New York City did the same in December. At the state level, California also adopted a landmarkbuilding code changelast August that strongly encourages new buildings to forgo gas hookups, but does not mandate it.

At the same time, the gas industry is vigorously fighting these policies and asserting that it will be possible to cut emissions from buildings using lower-carbon fuels like gas from landfills andclean hydrogen.At least 19 Republican-led state legislatureshave passed preemption laws that prevent municipalities from banning gas.

In Washington, the revised code came in response to a target set by the state Legislature to reduce the amount of energy consumed by nonresidential buildings by 70% by 2031. A2021 Washington state energy strategy reportalso found that electrification and energy efficiency were the most cost effective ways to achieve state greenhouse gas targets for buildings.

While Washington is the first state with an all-electric mandate, the California Energy Commission, which oversees the state building code, passed a similar policy last August that will also go into effect in 2023. The California code sets a baseline efficiency standard that all but requires the use of heat pumps for space heating. Developers have the option to install other types of heating as long as they adopt a raft of energy efficiency measures. The California code is also more flexible in regards to water heating.

Washingtons new code does contain a few exceptions for hospitals, research facilities and other buildings where fossil fuels are required for specific needs that cannot practicably be served by heat pump. Large commercial buildings in Eastern Washington, where the temperature can get down into the negative teens, are also allowed to use gas heating as a backup option. The code requires only that 50 percent of a buildings water heating needs are fulfilled using heat pumps.

No state is yet considering a ban on the use of gas for cooking though some of the local gas bans do apply to stoves. Kocher said the space and water-heating mandate is likely to prevent most commercial developers from hooking up new buildings to the gas system altogether. He also didnt want to invite further opposition to the idea by angering the restaurant industry, which has proved to be afierce opponent to gas bans in places like Berkeley, California.

We do need to stop putting gas lines in for all end uses. But we thought that this was a pretty big code change as it is, he said.

This story was originally published byGrist. You cansubscribe to its weekly newsletter here.

More:
Washington is the first state to require all-electric heating in new buildings - Crosscut

FRESNO, Calif., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Time is running out for residents in central California looking to take advantage of a $3,950 rebate on a new air conditioning system. The Tech Clean California program announced on Friday that the rebates will be dramatically reduced at the end of this week, dropping from $3,950 to just $1,000.

The program, which launched in December 2021, has become very popular but has limited funds remaining. In order to take advantage of the maximum rebate, customers must identify a contractor and have the contractor submit a signed contract to the program. Otherwise, they will lose out on $2,950.

The Tech Clean California program is designed to help Californians transition to a cleaner and more efficient air conditioning system. The rebates are part of that effort, and the program has been successful in helping many Californians upgrade their AC units.

But with the deadline looming, time is running out for those who have not yet taken advantage of the rebate. Customers considering upgrading their AC system need to act now. Signed contracts must be submitted by May 13th, 2022 otherwise the rebate will drop significantly. This change was announced on Friday, May 6th giving residents only one week remaining to take advantage of this program.

Balanced Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing has been a leader in helping customers maximize incentives available to install energy-efficient air conditioning systems. For more information about Balanced Comfort or these incentives visit Balancedcomfort.com or email us at Info@balancedcomfort.com.

Media Contact: Aaron Husak 559-243-6464 335985@email4pr.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/balanced-comfort-cooling-heating--plumbing-states-time-is-of-the-essence-if-californians-wish-to-take-advantage-of-3-950-rebate-for-a-new-air-conditioning-system-301542576.html

SOURCE Balanced Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing

See the rest here:
Balanced Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing States Time Is of the Essence if Californians Wish to Take Advantage of $3,950 Rebate for a New Air...

Low housing inventory and high buyer demand have resulted in bidding wars even for homes that might normally linger in cooler markets. If you're thinking of selling a property that has increased in value, you might be tempted to list it without doing any repairs or upgrades.

It's understandable that you'd be reluctant to pour tons of money into renovations when so many eager buyers are snapping up homes sold as-is, but you're leaving money on the table if you don't make any improvements to your home. Consider these relatively quick and easy ways to add even more value to your home.

Curb appeal is everything when it comes to attracting buyer interest, but that doesn't have to end at a beautiful lawn and garden. Replacing, or even just repainting, your front door can add value to your home. According to Remodeling's Cost vs. Value Report, you can recoup 65% on a new steel door and 60.9% on a fiberglass door. Even a fresh coat of paint on an existing door can make an impact. A Zillow survey found that painting your door black could increase your home's value by 2.9%.

Image source: Getty Images.

Although some garages have been converted into living spaces as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), most are used for storage, and therefore, homeowners tend to care more about what's behind the door than the actual door itself. However, a new garage door tops Remodeling's list of value-added home improvements with a whopping 93.8% return on investment (ROI).

Do a walk-through of your home and make notes of any repairs that you've been putting off over the months and years. Is there a loose door handle? Tighten it. Does the junk drawer in the kitchen stick every time? Unstick it.

If you're handy, these repairs will take no time; if not, they are worth hiring a handyperson to do them for you. HomeAdvisor (owned by Angi) reports that an independent handyperson will run you between $55 and $75 an hour. Buyers like seeing a well-maintained home, so making small fixes can go a long way.

Homeowners often get chills up their backs, whether it's because of drafty windows or the thought of spending money on replacing them. At an average cost of $850 (per HomeAdvisor), they can definitely add up. While replacing all the windows would certainly add value to the house, it does result in a large chunk of change that you don't want to lay out, especially if you're leaving the home.

However, you can replace some windows, such as the ones on the bottom floor or only the front-facing windows. Buyers like to know that new things are not only installed but also can save them money, and new energy-conserving windows can cut down on heating and cooling costs.

Without a doubt, homebuyers desire and even expect an updated kitchen and bath. However, you don't have to go high-end with a renovation unless you're in a market that calls for it. According to Remodeling's Cost vs. Value Report, a minor kitchen remodel will recoup 72.2%, and a midrange bath remodel will get back 60.1%. You'll actually score less at resale if you go high-end with either remodel; the data says ROI for upscale kitchen and bath redos are 53.9% and 52.8%, respectively.

A smart move would be to install smart devices that save money. If there's one thing buyers love more than new appliances, it's new appliances that can save them money. A smart thermostat, for example, doesn't cost much to install but goes a long way with the ability to control heating and cooling remotely. The same goes for doorbell cameras that can be viewed via smartphone or tablet, providing much-needed peace of mind when homeowners are away.

Any opportunity to create more living space in a home is a win for buyers, and that includes subterranean space. That doesn't mean you have to convert your basement into a basement apartment, gym, home theater, or (wo)man cave. You could just do a bit of work to remove any of the darkness and dampness inherent to basements so that yours can be used as storage.

Unless buyers have a green thumb, they probably like the idea of a beautiful yard on principle but aren't as enthused when it comes to maintaining it. Do some yard work to clean up flower beds and tidy the lawn but also consider adding low-maintenance features like drought-tolerant plants or hardscaping, such as a concrete or paver patio.

Completely paving over the yard is neither necessary nor as low-maintenance as people think -- you do have to pressure wash it from time to time, as well as fix any cracked pavers. But unless you have a sprinkler system installed, buyers typically don't want to inherit extensive lawn-and-garden maintenance duties.

Homebuyers like a blank canvas, so they can envision themselves living in the space. That's kind of hard to do when there's a crimson accent wall in the living room or floral wallpaper in another. You might have enjoyed this look while you lived there, and there could very well be a buyer who shares your taste in decor. However, buyers would much prefer the chance to place their own mark on the space. This would be a good time to remove any wallpaper and paint over walls in neutral colors.

With such high demand for limited inventory, it's tempting to leave your space status quo. But as a savvy real estate investor, you'll want to profit as much as you can. This list of fixes won't break the bank or take a lot of time, but they could pay off with higher offers and a quicker sale.

See more here:
9 Surefire Ways to Add Value to Your Home - The Motley Fool

by Meg Hansen One signature and one vote thwarted the attempt to upend heating in Vermont's built environment. Governor Phil Scott won the game of political ping pong against the Legislature, when the latter failed to override his veto of the Clean Heat Standard (CHS)bill by one vote.

The CHS was touted as the most impactful plan to meet the carbon reduction goals mandated by the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). But Scott asked for the invoice upfront. Politicians who buy today with the promise of paying tomorrow (when they'llbe gone) were then forced to defang the bill.

The new version still lacked details on costs and impacts and delegated outsized policymaking authority to the three-member Public Utilities Commission. So, Scott rejected it.

This scheme may be dead but the ideology at its core climate catastrophism will return wearing a new pair of pants.

Scott nonetheless acknowledged the importance of reducing GHG emissions. One doesn't riseto the top of a system by denying its dogmas.

Not everyone though is fated to live as Havel's greengrocer. The few amongst us, whose breads arent buttered by the prevailing system, can ask questions, challenge climate catastrophism, and otherwise flirt with heresy.

Since1900, the average global temperature hasincreased by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degree Fahrenheit). CO2 and other GHG emissions from fossilfuel combustion have warmed the planet by 1.5 degrees Celsius, whilesulfate aerosolsreleased by burning coal and oil have exerted a coolingeffect of 0.6 degrees Celsius.

The planet cooled from 1940 till 1975, after which thetemperature has been rising.Anthropogenic warming has thuslargely occurred since themid-1970s.

Serious critics acknowledge these facts.But they believe that Earth'scomplex dynamical system of temperature is influenced by multiple factors rather thancontrolled by CO2 alone.

Further, they disagreewith the claims of imminentapocalypse,whichoriginate from faulty computer models thathave never accurately predictedanycatastrophic occurrence.

Climate catastrophists assert that Earth will perish unless civilization drastically de-industrializes andeliminates fossil fuels. They blame GHG emissions forrising sea levels and worsening hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Arethey right? According to the assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) no.

Such claims, conflating the weatherwith Earths climate, have becomeubiquitous because of the systemiccorruption of climate science communication. Actual scientific results are rarely, if ever, found in the briefs for the press and policymakers.

Instead, clickbait stories win television ratings, votes, and the day. For example, the latest 4000-page IPCC report expresses lowconfidence that humans have impacted the long-term trends in meteorologicaldroughts, the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, and the probability or magnitude of floods.

Yet, the public was told that the study signaled a code red for humanity.

Climate catastrophizing makes for sound practical politics, but leads to unsound policies like the CHS and the GWSA. An energygrid is notoriously intractable. It can tolerate slow, deliberate modifications.

In contrast, abrupt and sweeping changes to large sectors, such as heating and transportation, will make energy unreliable and its costs prohibitive.

Moreover, renewableenergy technologies arenowhere near ready. Deploying immature technologies would add to the societal disruption.

The CHS planned to force Vermonters to install electric heat pumps thatbecome inefficient or fail in frigid weather. Vermont legislators did not pay heed to the public backlash in the UK last year, which paused the Britishgovernments effort to grow the heat pumpmarket by banning gas boilers.

The GWSAs targets are, in sum, unachievable.Future proposals to meet them could at best realize an immeasurable change to the atmosphere, but not without destabilizing society to the detriment of the non-wealthy. So, how do we make good climate policy?

1) Be honest about values. Increased economicactivity leads to higherGHG emissions but also poverty alleviation and greater life expectancy. The total population grew from 2 billion in 1900 to 7.9 billion today. During this period, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty dropped from82.5 percentto 9.2 percent.

WilliamNordhaus, co-recipientof the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics,arguesthat requiring deep reductions in living standards to chase climate goals would amount to burning down the village to save it.

Would most Vermont lawmakers agree? Does theGWSA prioritize human flourishing or aim to altogether end human influence on the environment?

2) Be honest about the pros and cons of energy sources. As abundant, reliable, scalable, versatile, and energy dense sources, fossil fuels have founded modern civilization.

Eco-activist Annette Smith, who has lived with a renewable energy system for decades,testifiedabout the CHS before the Vermont Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, I have made investments. I have weatherized myhouse. I have replaced thewindows. I do not have alternativesfor propane. There is nothing else.

Fossil fuel powered technology has built resilient infrastructure and early warning systems, which have lowered the annual worldwide deaths due to extreme weather fromhalf a million a century ago to14,000 in 2020. Ithas also minimized air, soil, and water pollution, making the world cleaner and more livable.

Despite $2.6 trillioninglobal investments by the end of 2019, wind and solar energy produce amere 3 percent ofthe world's electricity and do not contributeto the thermal, industrial, and heavy-duty transportation sectors.

Finally, nuclear power is safe, cost-effective, carbon-free, and should be decriminalized.

3) Be humble.Grandiose plans that imposeuncertain and likely devastating outcomes on middle-income workers and families should go nowhere.

Humility will be required to admit that the Global Warming Solutions Act is a failure; courage will be required to repeal it. Neither animates Montpelier.

Meg Hansen is president of the Ethan Allen Institute, a policy research and educational nonprofit organization in Vermont.

See the original post:
Hansen: Bad policy begets worse, repealing the GWSA is the solution - Vermont Biz

Outdoor seating areas can provide your home with an extra comfort level and ensure that you feel satisfied with your house. However, you may neglect these areas or simply feel uncertain about how to upgrade them for maximum quality. The following steps can give you the best outdoor seating area and ensure that your house is worth more on the market if you try to sell it later.

Patios add a certain touch of class and style to your house, which is probably why over 20% of new houses add a patio to their outdoor areas every year. Thankfully, you can add a patio to your outdoor area with little difficulty by working with a professional who understands these steps.

For instance, you can hire a carpenter who can install a new patio and make sure that it's properly structured and safely built. You can then work with a hardscaping professional who can make sure that the rest of your seating area matches it, such as adding new bricks or even a fireplace to this area.

Does your home have limited outdoor landscaping, and you aren't sure what to do? It is important to talk to a landscaping expert who can help expand your landscaping properly, causing no serious issues. For instance, they can put in new trees, flowers, and other items that make your landscaping appealing.

For example, you can add new hills throughout your landscape, put in new bushes, add decorative touches, and even add small and fun structures to your yard. Touching it up just a little will make your outdoor seating area a little more comfortable and relaxing to visit.

Your seating area's doors and windows not only add style to this area but can improve your house's heating and cooling efficiency. Perhaps that's why the windows and door market had a $153 billion value in 2020. Putting in new windows and doors can help you enjoy sitting outside even more.

Even though these fixes mostly affect your house, they can also improve your seating area. For instance, if you have an outdoor sunroom with doors and windows protecting you from bugs, adding new items can improve this room's comfort, style, and heating efficiency.

Did you know that mosquitoes can and will lay eggs in standing water as small as a bucket or mud puddle? There's nothing worse than letting this standing water stay, hatching thousands of mosquitoes, and dealing with them all summer. Instead, get rid of this standing water to improve your outdoor seating.

A mosquito treatment specialist can come to your yard and inspect potential egg-laying spots throughout the area. These zones may include shallow areas that collect water every year. You may even need to get upgraded yard sloping to minimize water spread throughout your grass.

Is your seating area comfortable but seems framed in an unattractive exterior look? Try to improve your house's style by adding new siding and other elements. Doing so not only improves your overall style but boosts your seating area comfort and enhances your house's value at the same time.

What material should you use? Well, the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction found the most popular options were: vinyl or stucco (26%), brick or brick veneer (21%), and fiber cement siding (20%). Pick an option that meets your house's style and your budgeting needs.

As you can see, you can add a great new outdoor seating area for your home if you have the time, patience, and budget to improve these areas. Pay attention to these steps, identify other potentially useful options to consider, and work with a house improvement specialist to get the help that you need. Doing so can improve your house's appearance and let you relax outdoors with ease.

Read more from the original source:
How to Create the Perfect Outdoor Space at Home This Summer - Shared

It's truly unbelievable.

Despite significant upgrades to solar and wind technologies, not everyone is confident that they can provide a viable solution for entire societies to pivot away from fossil fuel and coal, at scale.

And they really need to.

With rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the global average temperature is warming, threatening the world with consequences far worse than even the scientific community initially predicted. In March, both of the Earth's poles experienced an unprecedented rise in temperatures, with sections of Antarctica surging to more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average, and the Arctic climbing more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit above average, according to an NPR report.

If ever we needed a key breakthrough in sustainable technologies, it's right now.

Things have gotten so dire that solar and wind power technologies will have to do more than just supply reliable electricity we also need them to provide applications for other issues that go beyond sustainable energy: slowing or addressing the onslaught of climate change on ecosystems, even on our own supply chain, including food.

In short, solar and wind power are becoming very complicated. And this is a good thing.

"In general, the pivot to solar and wind won't be a one-size-fits-all," says Mark Cann, CEO, and co-CTO of CryomatiKs Inc., who spoke with IE in an interview. "What works for San Francisco is not necessarily going to work for Singapore."

"Its going to be a combination of short-term and long-term power lithium-ionbatteries have secured the path on storing and delivering power for two to four hours," says Cann.

A 2021 study from the University of Michigan estimates that 83 percent of the U.S. population lives in cities, a tremendous rise from 64 percent in 1950. That means any sustainable energy solution isn't worth anything at least in the U.S. until it confronts the issue of powering entire cities.

And that means innovating around the conventional storage technologies seen for wind and solar. In 2021, solar and wind power generated more than 10 percent of the world's electricity, according to Global Electricity Review 2022, which was compiled by the energy think tank, Ember. That's twice the global levels of 2015, when the Paris Climate Agreement was signed.

That's significant progress, but it still leaves 24 percent percent of the world's power generation (in 2020) coming from fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). And the United States Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) October 2021 report said "renewables will be the primary source for new electricity generation, but natural gas, coal, and increasingly batteries will be used to help meet load and support grid reliability."

Consequently, innovation in renewable technologies and the diversification of their capabilities are absolutely necessary tasks.

"Densely populated areas require other strategies to pivot to sustainable energy," adds Cann. "Iron-air batteries are just now being commercialized, but they already have theability to offer several days of power, stored over long periods of time at a much lower price than lithium-ion batteries."

Get more updates on this story and more withThe Blueprint, our daily newsletter:Sign up here for free.

But this doesn't mean renewable power can simply upgrade to lithium-ion batteries, and scale up to power, say, a major city.

"Some buildings are trying to integrate commercial wind power but, often, the value of a mechanical problem can be much greater than the initial cost to install that turbine," says Co-Founder and CEO of Glass Dyenamics Christopher Angelo, who is also the former CFO of Silicor Materials, in another interview with IE.

"If something goes wrong, it's really expensive to fix," explains Angelo, referring to the complications of installing cutting-edge sustainable energy on large buildings. "If you put a wind turbine on top of a building in the city, that can cause some issues as well, due to building structural and dynamic load management. There's also the chance someone builds in front of the wind pattern."

Imagine if every other building in Manhattan had a wind turbine or large solar array on top, and one or several erupted into a blazing fire from an environmental mishap.It could be like an urban fire from the 19th century totally out of control.

So a straightforward approach of simply distributing renewable power generation throughout an urban region probably isn't going to work. At least not yet. But there are other roadblocks to rolling out sustainable power ones more personal than engineering, alone.

"The key social issue with the solar market is the grid saturation point this is the experience with every major solar market scaling solar to a sufficient degree" in Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, Ontario, and elsewhere, added Angelo. "The saturation point is where those who can't afford solar are paying uncomfortably higher utility rates due to subsidizing the homes that can or already do have solar so theres an inequity issue."

Specifically, the ones most in a position to afford the latest and greatest solar panels can rebrand themselves as a "green company." This, in turn, can give them access to lucrative subsidies "and that crowds out other firms, in addition to prospective residential buyers," explained Angelo.

Anyone can look up the top 10 solar power-using zip codes in, say, California, then note what the average income is in these regions, using IRS and census data, Angelo suggests. "I think the average income [for the densest solar neighborhoods] was two to three times the national average income."

In 2019, the national average income was$65,836, according to Policy Advisor, citing US Census data.

To Angelo, this fact alone lends "some merit to the stigma of 'solar [being] for rich people' there's a steep cost to pay for solar".

However, while it doesn't feel like it, we're still in the salad days of renewable technologies. This means most of those in a position to do something about pushing renewables forward are still relying on lackluster market strategies from the 20th century.

"Everyone is very tribal about new power technologies," hoping "to grab market share," says Cann.

"People aren't just fighting over a contract for today, they're fighting over the next 20 years of contracts," explains Cann.

It's important to think about the human element to demystify the roles of solar, wind, and other types of sustainable energy: while some private interests may not align with every proposed alternative to non-sustainable energy sources, in practice these technologies aren't actually at odds, and can "complement each other," he adds.

Hopes of advancing battery technology to shore up the intermittency issues of solar and wind which signifies wind and solar's uselessness when wind is absent and sunlight is hidden under overcast skies, respectively have promised much. But they might be overstated.

"In reality, batteries provide very little of global energy storage," says Cann. "Pumped hydro provides over 90 percent of the world's global energy storage, with thermal energy providing a small amount and batteries offering single digits."

To Cann, the conversation should move on from the discussion of batteries.

"There are multiple technologies, like green hydrogen or liquid air, that are capable of providing uninterrupted electricity to large cities," explains Cann. And we can even procure highly valuable byproducts from these battery types, like high-grade cold air for air conditioning, refrigeration, and, in some cases, even waste heat that could keep the hot water tap toasty.

But whatever we do to innovate the way we think about batteries and energy storage, we may have little time to act.

"In the next couple of years the manufacturing costs of lithium ion-based batteries, and thus energy storage itself, is going to rise tremendously," says Cann. "That's going to change a lot of projections that were made five or six years ago regarding the price" of new battery technologies.

"All the raw materials to make them have doubled in price," Cann says. And, according to him, sustainable energy technologies are due for an upgrade. "Previous sustainable technologies have already matured it's gotten to the point where people are trying to squeeze pennies or nickels out of things."

If we're going to preserve the next generation of modern power, we need to put next-gen sustainable technologies into mass production, says Cann. "For example, there is a solar photovoltaic design that uses copper instead of silver it has lower material costs than conventional PV panels, and testing yields very good early performance it should be able to match or outperform current PV panels, at a much lower cost."

Cann's company, CryomatiKs Inc., is working to commercialize a new type of floating wind platform that incorporates energy storage directly into the system. While Cann admits his partiality to wind power (it's what his company is doing, after all), he has a reason that seems to override skepticism:

"The short answer is [that] floating wind platforms can provide over 60 percent utilization factor, whereas solar is less than 25 percent, and in most locations falls to less than 20 percent."

"This means that floating wind platforms can provide clean electricity for over 14 hours a day, with solar between five to six hours. When you are producing power over 12 hours a day with floating wind, less energy storage is required, which results in lower cost," said Cann. "Floating solar arrays have the advantage of helping cool the PV panels, which increases the output of the solar array by one to two percent. When floating solar is installed on top of a water reservoir this can reduce the evaporation of the water as well."

Floating solar arrays, or floatovoltaic panels (FPV), "are a tasty treat," remarks Professor Joshua Pearceof the Innovation Ivey Business School Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Western University, in another interview with IE. "You don't use any land, and you also get the benefit of water cooling the panels down."

In the development of new and renewable resources, real estate is expensive and in short supply a boon for FPVs. And the technology avoids another hidden pitfall of solar technology, explored by Pearce and his colleagues in the journal Energies.

"Solar cell efficiency drops with increased temperature," explains Pearce. "The water cools floatovoltaics so their operating temperature is lower, which results in more solar electricity generation."

To Pearce, FPVs will see tremendous growth in the coming years. "It turns out there are many crops across the world that increasetheir yield when you put them under transparent solar panels. If you shade your beans or peppers, you get more under the panels than you would otherwise" said Pearce.

And, notably, FPV arrays can "help conserve water by limiting evaporation," adds Pearce,who's also the John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation at the Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership.Pearce and a colleague, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, explored the ramifications of disappearing natural lakes amid the changing environment, in a study published in the journalRenewable Energy.

The pair found thatFPVs could have great success "in arid or semi-arid regions, as well as helping protect against climate change," says Pearce. "They could be critical for saving terminal natural lakes." And with the supply chain shortage in full swing, Pearce and his colleagues did a study that discovered "the materialsfor FPV are less than for conventional racking," and showed that FPV systems are the greenest of all photovoltaic systems.

"Overall, even though the U.S. is behind in FPV, I think we can expect to see a lot more of it in the near future as it may even be beneficial for aquaculture to make aquavoltaics," says Pearce, to IE. But no matter how compelling, encouraging, or even mind-blowing the abundance of evolving solutions to rethinking our energy infrastructure, we should be careful not to overlook the other end of energy consumption and not become fixated on generation.

Unlike insulated walls, windows can "leak" energy via heat transfer at incredible rates (depending on the surface area). During the winter and summer months, the temperature differential between a comfortable office or home and the outdoor world is constantly being adjusted. And, whether via air conditioning or heating, that's energy wasted.

In essence, minimizing this loss comes from the same motivation behind investing in solar or wind power tech. "If you're a building owner, you don't buy solar because it's going to be a power source for you, you're buying it to be an efficient tool to lower your costs," says CEO and Co-Founder of Glass Dyenamics, Christopher Angelo.

Angelo's company produces a special kind of dynamic glass that "tintsand untints upon application of an electric charge and it takes roughly one minute to darken," he explains. But this technology allows users to save on wasted energy without losing the benefits of a sunny day by completely shutting blinds or other coverings. The dynamic glass "goes from 70 percent down to three percent of visible light transmission. So its similar to solar cells which have 20 percent efficiency of that sunlight."

Converted into energy loss (also known as the solar heating coefficient)the tinted state only transfers 20 percent of that solar heat, "and in a clear state, its 40 percent," adds Angelo. In essence, this cuts the amount of solar heat coming into a building during a sunny day. And that reduces how long the air conditioning needs to be left on to achieve a comfy temperature. This, in turn, "provides energy efficiency and energy savings, which is the same value-proposition that solar provides," he adds.

Of course, there are other options to tinted glass insulation in homes and businesses already holds a lot of the heat inside homes, serving as a thermal buffer to keep a temperature differential from equalizing between inside and outside. Fiberglass has long served as a means of doing this, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that fiberglass production creates emissions that become "toxic air pollution, including styrene."

There are alternative materials that could be used. Scientific work with the insulating properties of sheep's wool could yield more eco-friendly materials. Cotton (yes, even your old blue jeans) can be shredded and recycled into thick batts, and fit right into walls (but you may want to have someone treat them with a borate solution, so it's less flammable). There are other solutions, like the spray, icynene, and polystyrene, but suffice to say there is a multitude of options that can be combined to make your home or office cut energy costs, without causing environmental costs.

And, while solar power is "stuck at three percent market penetration," dynamic glass could expand deep into the U.S., and worldwide until renewable energy technologies catch up, and it's even cheaper than solar: "Dynamic glass offers a 66-percent discount compared to average rooftop solar," explains Angelo. "I think this has a huge role to play in terms of future energy efficiency."

The Department of Energy has recognized the promise of this technology implementing dynamic glass to become a major part of sustainable energy in government facilities throughout the United States which means the time to buy or invest early, as the market expands, is now.

Cann's firm broke with convention on wind technology, and moved away from the traditional three-blade system, opting instead for a drag-based system. "If you've ever seen windmill-based systems like those used in the 1930s that pump water out of the ground that's called a drag-based design," explains Cann. And this design had several advantages. Low cost was primary "the cost of raw materials is incredibly low," explains Cann. But the higher utilization rates that come from floating platforms were equally important. These go to "60 or 70 percent," says Cann.

But most crucially is the way drag-based design circumvents intermittency issues: "It doesn'trely on high wind speed," says Cann. "The performance is lower relative for to three-blade systems, and but drag based wind turbines can operate from lower for windspeed."

But none of this will have a lasting effect if it can't be scaled. Luckily, it can. "The drag-based three-blade system can definitely be scaled," Cann tells me. "Right now, there isa 1-MW turbine system being built, and were using that to validate the output," he adds, referencing his firm's efforts to develop a scalable version of floating drag-based wind turbines. "Then well build a 5-MW version, which will be put on a floating platform."

"The 5-MW machine will be a default mass-producible unit that will be on afloating platform, and those floating platform machines can go up to 100 MW.Crucially, each floating platform also doubles as an energy storage system," says Cann. And this system takes wind power beyond electricity and conventional power grids tapping into the wider infrastructure where it hits us closest.

"Our approach argues that there's far more value in storing power starting with molecules than you can with electrons," explains Cann, hinting that his firm's strategy isn't limited to electrical grids. "If you can take low-cost power and convert it into liquid air or green ammonia, then that same power has more value than simply feeding electricity into the grid."

"You can go one step further, and convert the low-cost power into green ammonia," explains Cann. If you've never heard of green ammonia, and how critical it is to food production, you should. "The ammonia market consists of nearly 200 tons per year. And that requires a lot of natural gas. So, providing green ammonia as a carbon-free alternative is an appealing market."

Cann's choice of the word "appealing" is an understatement.

"Fifty percent of ammonia goes to create food," he says. "You can't grow food without ammonia. Right now, prices are skyrocketing because of Russia's push to overthrow the Ukrainian government, which drives natural gas prices up, which, in turn, drives food prices up."

Innovate for the public good - Solar and wind power are evolving faster than is generally recognized. Among other things, this means public consensus, as always, is lagging behind the combined advances of both scientific progress and commercial growth in sustainable technology. But, with the climate crisis exacerbating already intolerable and unpredictable conditions, and the threat of more warsand overstrained resources and supply chains it's time to lend more support to recent advances, from floating solar arrays to drag-based wind turbines, new intermittency solutions, smarter raw materials, dynamic, energy-saving windows and, of course, take a new look at changing the quasi-monopolistic market strategies of conventional and sustainable energy investors who do not tend to put the public good ahead of private profits.

Here is the original post:
We need to rethink solar and wind power. Here's why - Interesting Engineering

Martin Zavala, who has run Milagro Caf in Stonington Borough for the past 14 years, has become a restauranteur of note in the region.

In late April, he expanded his reach and established a new restaurant: Zavala Mexican Bistro in East Lyme.

Zavala had almost opened a restaurant in the same site after Frank's Gourmet Grille closed in 2011.

Zavalaeven had a lease for the Boston Post Road spot, but his wife, Genine, was hospitalized, and he had to give up the lease. (Genine had a heart defect and passed away in 2016.)

Since then, Flanders Diner had a short-lived stint in the locale, followed by Rebeka Fresh Pasta Restaurant, which shut its doors earlier this year.

When Zavala found out that site was available now, he says, "I had to take it."

"Being over the (Gold Star) Bridge for so long, something like 14 years, I always hear people say, 'You should open one on our side,'" he says. "I wanted to try it. I have this vision in my head of how I want this restaurant to be."

People who have seen the sign out front have already been calling the restaurant to ask if the owner was related to the folks who ran Zavala in New London (at the foot of State Street, next to the train station) for eight-plus years, until 2010.

Zavala is, in fact, that Zavala. He and his mother-in-law, Jan Loomis, are business partners in this new venture, and they co-own Milagro. (They also co-own Manana in Groton with Loomis' son Justin Primeaux; Zavala doesn't run that venue.)

Zavala has nothing but praise for Loomis and says, "Basically, I have all of this because of her. ... I'm very thankful."

The dishes they serve

So what's on the menu? Here is asampling of a couple of the items at Zavala Mexican Bistro: Citrus roasted pork, $22, pork simmered in its own juices, until fork tender, in lime and lemon, served with black bean puree and salsa borracha; and Mole Con Pollo, $20, pan seared chicken breasts, in a savory sauce containing plantains, nuts, a variety of different chiles and spices, and dark chocolate.

A good portion of the menu boasts dishes like tacos and burritos that Americans tend to expect at Mexican restaurants but that aren't served a lot in Mexico.

Zavala learned with his first restaurant that customersheretend to lean toward ordering those offerings, and he couldthen slowly add specials of more authentic Mexican dishes.

At Milagro now, the vast majority of customers order the specials. The specials change at least three times a week there, accompanying aa set menu.

While that hasn't been the case so far at Zavala Mexican Bistro, Zavala is hoping patrons will eventually lean toward the specials. He says he has to figure out what works in East Lyme. He knows that Stonington is a fish town, and his specials at Milagro reflect that. He thought that might be the same in East Lyme, but so far, he hasn't sold much fish.

This is the second Mexican restaurant to debut in East Lyme in a little over a year, the other being La Llorona in Niantic. Zavala said he wasn't concerned about that when establishing Zavala Mexican Bistro and compared it to when he was learning to cook in New York City; there were so many restaurants, one after another, all doing business. And, he points out, there are a multitude of pizza places in our region. In other words: there's an audience for it.

Likewise, he says, "I remember when I came to Connecticut, there were no Mexican restaurants. Now, there's one in every town."

Besides, he notes, "If I give the same ingredients to 10 different people, each(result) is going to taste different."

And Zavala doesn't go by recipes. So a special today might take different from the same one next week. He says that's why he doesn't like baking, which is more of a science.

Hiring help

As with most businesses, it wasn't easy for Zavala to find help, but he says he feels very lucky and grateful for the people who are working at Zavala Mexico Bistro.

He notes that mostly high school kids are working at Zavala, which is different from his employees at Milagro.

"In one restaurant (Milagro), I have everybody over 50. In my other restaurant, I have everybody under 20," he says with a laugh. "My employees at Milagro, I've had there forever."

Everybody there knows how he likes things done and knows him as a person his sense of humor, for instance.

Hebrought one of those long-time employees, the managerat Milagro, over to work at Zavala Mexican Restaurant instead.

A challenging Cinco de Mayo

It happened that Zavala Mexican Bistro opened its doors just a couple of weeks before Cinco de Mayo, which tends to be an extremely busy day for most Mexican restaurants.Zavala says that Cinco de Mayo was rough at the East Lyme venue. A lot of customers were upset that orders took so long, and some left without their food.

"For that, I will apologize for everybody. ... It's no excuse, but we were only like two weeks open. And everybody's new and we try our best," he says.

Making things by hand

Zavala grew up in Mexico City and made furniture there with his family.

"I like making things with my hands," he says.

When he came to the U.S., his first job was in construction before he started as a dishwasher in a restaurant; that's where he met Genine, who was a server at the same venue.

He became interested in cooking and worked in a variety of restaurants in New York City for 12 years.

"I worked for free in fancy restaurants because I wanted to learn," he says. "I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. And I never really cooked Mexican food until I opened my own business."

In those early years, he took jobs based on what he could be taught there.

"I wanted to learn how to make eggs, so I worked at a diner for six months. I wanted to learn how to make soup, I worked at a place that only makes soups," he says.

Zavala had considered going to culinary school, but his old boss told him he didn't need to go to school to be a great chef.

Getting positive feedback from customers is something Zavala appreciates.

When it comes to cooking, he says, "I like when people say, 'Wow, that tastes very good ... How do you do this?'"

Excerpt from:
Owners of Milagro in Stonington open a new restaurant in East Lyme - theday.com

Construction on Loudoun Countys first Dash In gas station and convenience store is picking up pace and we have a new image of the progress.

As The Burn has detailed in past reports, Dash In is a Maryland-based convenience store chain making a push into Virginia.

The brand is similar to a Wawa or a Sheetz and includes an onsite fast-food restaurant that according to plans is called the Dash In Kitchen.

The new Dash In is going up near the intersection of Gum Spring Road and Tall Cedars Parkway, just south of Highway 50.

A photo of the site shared on social media by the construction firm show the outline of the future Dash In c-store as well as a Splash-In car wash on the left.

The firm Morgan-Keller Construction says the project is on track to finish up sometime in October.

But that doesnt mean the Dash-In will open just then. They still need to install all the fixtures inside the store, stock the store, hire and train the staff, and so forth before a grand opening can be held.

The South Riding/Chantilly location in one of several Dash Ins that are reportedly in the works for Loudoun County.

Other potential spots include one off Loudoun County Parkway near Brambleton and one off Claiborne Parkway in the Belmont area near Route 7.

See the original post here:
Loudoun's first Dash In convenience store starts to take shape - The Burn

ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Frustration and concern are growing in Arlington over the new interchange being built at Interstate 30 and State Highway 360.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2023, but this week, a TXDOT spokesman issued a statement that said the project's timeline would be revised. "Construction schedule revisions for the $264 million dollar project are currently underway with all the project partners, and we expect an updated timeline soon."

A different spokesman said Friday afternoon that he couldn't provide any more details.

At nearby Boston's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar, Manager Manuel Gutierrez said, "I wish it was done two years ago. I wish it would have been done already."

But the reality is there's a lot more work to be done before the new interchange will be completed.

While some of the elevated ramps have been opened to traffic, others are still in the process of going up.

Gutierrez said the lunch crowd shrank after construction began in March of 2016.

All of the resulting congestion has led to financial indigestion. "We struggle to get sales in and to be able to pay the rent on time."

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross isn't happy about the pace of the project either. "It certainly feels like that project has been going on forever."

Ross said he worries the project could take another two to three years to wrap up.

He said he's heard the COVID-19 pandemic has caused problems with staffing and materials. "The bottom line is it's taken too long. We need to get this thing wrapped up. The businesses around there deserve it. The community deserves it. People are tired of driving through all of the construction."

As crews replace the old clover-leaf turnpike configuration with a new direct connect interchange, Travis Church, a driver who often visits North Texas, said he's seen enough. "It's a nightmare. If it's like this next year, I'm going to choose a different section."

When asked what his message is to TXDOT, Gutierrez said, "I hope they can get it done and they can start working faster so they can help the businesses around this area to get more traffic into the restaurants, into our doors so we can stay alive, so we can stay open."

Jack covers politics for KTVT-TV CBS 11 and has been with the station since September 2003.

Originally posted here:
Frustration grows over I-30/SH 360 construction in Arlington - CBS News

What is a tax increment financing district?

Cities like to use tax increment financing districts to give developers incentives to build new projects. However, TIF districts can have advantages and drawbacks.

Dwight Adams, dwight.adams@indystar.com

Four parking garage projects under construction in Carmel will bring more than 1,300 new parking spaces to the city when the structures are complete.

The garages will represent multi-million dollar investments in new parking structures in Carmel, according to information provided by the city.

Those numbers do not include new projects recently proposed to the city council, projects going through the permitting process or the existing public garages throughout the city, such as those at the Tarkington, Veterans Way and in Midtown.

'Something spectacular':Construction of luxury hotel in Fishers to begin

Three of the four garagesunder construction are tied to mixed-use developments, which also will be home to offices, commercial businesses and residential spaces, such as apartments and condos.

Carmel: $53.5M in bonds for future developments are before Carmel Council. Here are the projects.

Those projects are a reflection of Mayor Jim Brainards vision of partnering with developers on economic development projects that provide public amenities in the city, Carmel Redevelopment Director Henry Mestetsky said in an email.

In contrast to the suburban strip malls and lack of mixed-use that covers so much of our country, public parking garages paid for and maintained by developers will continue to keep Carmels urban neighborhoods unique, walkable and accessible to all, Mestetsky said.

According to the city, the parking structures under construction in Carmel are:

First on Main:

The mixed-use First on Main development under construction at Main Street and Range Line Road will include space for a restaurant, office, apartments and condos.

The parking garage will have 311 spaces.

The Signature:

The Signature, another mixed-use development, is under construction at Main and Old Meridian Streets. The development will include retail space, apartments and condos.

The parking garage will have 374 spaces.

Stout's Footwear in Carmelreopens in 2023 as part of new $68M development

Carmel Arts & Design District: How a new development will impact Main Street

The Corner:

The Corner, a mixed-use project under construction, will include apartments and retail space. It is located at 116th Street and Range Line Road.

The parking garage will have 364 spaces.

Civic Square Garage:

Construction of the Civic Square garage, located at Monon Green Boulevard and Veterans Way, is led by the Carmel Redevelopment Commission.

The parking garage will have 303 spaces.

Through tax increment financing and public-private partnerships, the city can carefully plan its growth in areas designated for redevelopment, Mestetsky said.

Tax increment financing, also known as TIF, provides Carmel the opportunity to use increased tax revenue from rising property values on a site to pay for redevelopment work, including parking garages.

In this case, the city has previously issued bonds to help finance these projects, but the developers of the mixed-use sites are responsible for making the payments.

Indiana: Carmel and Indy have relied on TIF districts. Now the state wants to use a similar tool.

Additionally, the developer-led garage projects are also maintained by the private sector, Mestetsky said.

The fourth project, the Civic Square parking garage, is led by the Carmel Redevelopment Commission and is under construction just north of Carmels City Hall. Construction on the garage is expected to be finished in mid-July, Mestetsky said.

It is expected to be the citys most tech-advanced garage, with parking space counters, EV charging stations and solar panels on the roof, Mestetsky said.

Contact IndyStar's Carmel and Westfield reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter @CarloniBrittany.

Read more:
4 parking garages under construction in Carmel will add 1300 new spaces in the city - IndyStar