Energy + Environment

    Soon California will be banning most petroleum-based plastic packaging from being shipped with products into the state. Five other states have EPR or packaging laws. More information here and here. This will require alternatives to most plastic packaging and foams. I’ve begun covering some bio-based plastic alternatives. See here. In this context, meet [...]

  A group of researchers with leaders from the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, solved the mystery of why flying insects collect around artificial lights, whether fires, candles, or various technology electric lamps. Old, unproven ideas include theories of “lunar navigation” and “escape to the light.” These researchers conducted high-resolution motion capture in the [...]

    A small town in the Netherlands, Zuidhoek-Nieuwkoop, has become the first town in the world to install red street lights. The primary motivation was to protect local, rare bat populations. The red light isn’t perceived by the bats but allows humans to see at night. The red street lights are manufactured by the [...]

  Facility managers are increasingly seeking sustainability solutions for buildings, emphasizing energy efficiency to enhance value. Green financing programs, such as power purchasing agreements (PPA), efficiency service agreements (EaaS and ESA), and property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, offer opportunities to integrate green technologies like efficient lighting retrofits, solar panels, co-generation, efficient HVAC systems, and [...]

  Shoplight, a British manufacturer specializing in retail and hospitality lighting, launched a line of 3D-printed bioplastic downlights called Colt Bio. The plant-based polymer downlight housings are upgradable and achieve circular economy principles. The black, white, and grey color options are made from Greentech Pro bioplastic, while the Silk color is made from Non Oilen [...]

  On June 30, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 54 into law to address the impacts of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware. This law requires that by 2032, single use plastics (packaging & food ware) in CA be reduced by 25%, 65% be recycled, and 100% be recyclable or compostable. The law [...]

    Companies are beginning to produce fiber textiles, also known as biofabric, from fungus mycelium and plant roots. The following are two interesting examples. My Glo produces luminaires (light shades) and other home décor items from fungus mycelium. See the image above and directly below. The mycelium light shades are flame resistant, help clean [...]

  An interesting article by Trane lays out the basics of Building Automation System (BAS) communications and then addresses four common misconceptions. We should first define the protocols and mediums. Protocols are the language in which the building is speaking—BACnet® over MS/TP, BACnet over IP, Modbus, and LonTalk are some of the non-proprietary languages used [...]

  Clifton Lemon Associates today announced that Pacific Gas & Electric will present a free webinar on the growing importance of building controls integration in the process of building-grid connection, load management, decarbonization, and electrification. Titled Lighting and Smart, Grid-Integrated Buildings, the webinar presents a history and overview of building controls integration in both commercial [...]