Tag: sustainable energy

What’s the Outcome of Combining Science with Business Savvy? Transformative Ideas

Posted on by robbie

There’s plenty of startups chasing energy innovation, but the part that’s often forgotten is the scientists behind these solutions, who pore over research for years and are permanently fixated over microscopes. These researchers are the foundation of our future — but they’re also unequipped with the business acumen or the political wherewithal to transition their work into commercial ventures.

But if you’re one of these budding scientists (and not Elon Musk) looking to save the world, the Resnick Institute at the California Institute of Technology may be your next stop. With a $30 million endowment, the newfangled program accepted its first class of postdoctoral fellows earlier this month.

“Energy is a challenging thing to develop infrastructure for, so it’s not really suited for the venture mindset,” says Neil Fromer, the executive director of the program. “But there are innovative ways to fund early-stage ideas.”

Plucked from around the world, the four fellows will focus on transformative energy solutions that are typically ignored by venture capitals looking for a sound return on investment, but have the potential to change the world. Such ideas include green chemical synthesis, fuel efficient vehicles and energy conversion research on batteries and fuel cells, according to a press release.

While there’s no shortage of bright ideas and big solutions, the tricky part is translating the dense language into a sexy, business pitch for potential investors. The Caltechstaff will not only work with students on developing their work into potential commercial ventures, but with the help of their own funding source, the pressure is off to produce immediate results.

“In some ways we’re trying to reclaim the thought leadership on this issue,” Fromer tells Fast Company.

While Caltech is not home to the only sustainability institute, by focusing on the intersection of science, business and technology, it may be the one that can save the world.

MORE: Get Schooled on How to Earn a Computer Science Education for Free

This App From MIT Tells You How Much Solar Energy Your House Can Produce

Posted on by robbie

As solar energy continues to become more available, more Americans are getting on board with the idea of taking their power off the grid and embracing more sustainable sources like solar panels.
But with that decision comes a lot of research. Individuals must find out just how expensive it might be and how much money installing solar panels actually saves, which can be a costly process if it involves seeking professional consultation.
Enter, Mapdwell.
Mapdwell, born out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), helps individuals determine solar potential of their properties using massive data sets across cities including Washington, D.C., Boston and Cambridge, Mass.
The company taps into LIDAR data from aerial mapping flights to produce one-by-one meter resolution 3D models of landscape including the shape of a roof and surrounding greenery.
With up to 8,600 data points to illustrate, the maps then provide a rating of solar potential based on analysis and historical weather data. Users can also share visual components of the data with a systems installer.
“We had to show you all the information, which can be overwhelming, but you need to have it if you really want to make a decision,” CEO Eduardo Berlin tells Fast Company. “Many times designers want to communicate the minimum amount of information to get you interested. But in this case, it’s different.”

Mapdwell lets users simply enter their address to access the information, as well as helping design custom solar systems based on metrics such as price, energy and environmental impact.

“The challenge is: How can you get people interested? How can you get people informed and excited with all these little things that we can do. If I do it, and you do it, and your neighbor does it, it could really have a huge effect,” Berlin says. “…You can really empower change within a community by people having all this information — if you manage to get it to them.”

The technology is only available for a select few cities right now, but the company is planning to expand, as well as design similar systems for rainwater collection, small wind energy installations and green roofs at a city level.

While solar energy still only accounts for less than 1 percent of the country’s electricity,  the potential of transitioning more people off environmentally harmful fossil fuels is evident. With the help of companies like Mapdwell, the process can move more quickly.

MORE: How Utah Stopped a Power Company’s Ridiculous Bid to Tax the Sun

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Burlington, Vt. is Leading America into a Future of Clean Energy

Posted on by robbie

Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, is illustrating just what a greener future could look like.
The city now touts that 100 percent of its electricity is powered by renewable sources including wind, water and biomass. The Burlington Electric Department reached the notable figure following the purchase of  the Winooski 1 Hydroelectric Facility, located on the Winooski River, earlier this month.
While Burlington’s 42,000 residents have been encouraging electric utility providers to make the switch to greener sources, the city has been talking about achieving the milestone for around a decade. But in 2008, officials began developing an actual strategy.

“The transition in thought from 2004 to 2008 was ‘We want to do this’ to ‘This actually makes economic sense for us to do this,'” says Ken Nolan, the manager of power resources for Burlington Electric.

That “economic sense” means that residents will avoid rate increases, and according to Nolan, once the bonds for the Winooski One facility are paid off (around 20 years from now), the utility will see cost savings.
“A lot of times when you buy plants like this, you end up having to increase rates initially to drop them later,” Nolan tells The Burlington Free Press,  “and we were able to buy it without any impact and then lock in the benefits in the future.”
Of course, there will be instances in which there may not be enough wind and hydro energy to supply the city, which means they may have to generate electricity from traditional fossil fuel sources. But the goal is to amass a surplus of renewable energy when conditions are right — an excess that will be sold to other utilities.
Burlington joins a statewide movement toward ending reliance on harmful fossil fuel sources. The Washington Electric Co-operative, with around 11,000 customers throughout central and northern Vermont, reached 100 percent earlier this year.
The state has set a goal of reaching 90 percent of energy — including heat, electricity and transportation — from renewable resources by 2050. “We’re now in a position where we’re supplying Burlington residents with sources that are renewable,” Nolan says. “The prices are not tied to fossil fuels — they’re stable prices — and they provide us with the flexibility, from an environmental standpoint, to really react to any regulation or changes to environmental standards that come in the future.”
Around the country, more local governments and municipalities are working toward transitioning powering with renewable resources. For instance, after a tornado leveled Greensburg, Kansas in 2007, part of reconstruction included the installation of a 12.5-megawatt wind farm that began generating electricity in excess.
As more cities ponder ways to become greener cities, Burlington is proof that it can — and should — be done.
MORE: The United States’s First Carbon-Neutral City Is…

Forget Cubicles and Horrible Lighting. This Health Care Tech Company Goes All Natural

Posted on by robbie

Sprawling fields, rippling creeks and acres of farmland – this serene landscape seems like the perfect haven to escape the hectic corporate lifestyle. Yet, this quiet land is the headquarters of a successful health care software development company.
Headquartered in Verona, Wisconsin, just 10 minutes from Madison, Epic Systems Corporation has rejected life in San Francisco and Silicon Valley for this quiet oasis. Epic specializes in creating software that services mid-size and large medical groups, hospitals and integrated health organizations. Their software works to help doctors and patients control the movement of electronic health data.
Although the company’s campus features an apple orchard from 1873, corn and alfalfa fields and cows, don’t let these simplicities fool you. Epic is revolutionizing office space with some of the newest products in sustainable energy. Their dairy farmhouse boasts 5,500 solar collectors, and the farm’s 3,500 geothermal wells control heating and cooling. Epic also maximizes daylight to reduce their use of florescent lighting — which not only lowers their energy costs but also works better with their employees’ circadian rhythms. Overall, these actions saves Epic 15 percent on its energy bills, and their campus uses 40 percent less energy than normal office buildings.
The company’s sustainable actions also have an aesthetic benefit, too. Peaceful rolling acres are preserved as the parking garage is hidden underneath. And this view is something that Epic plans to maintain, despite growing in size. “There are parts of the campus they never plan to touch — they want to see animals as part of their view,” says John Cuningham, founder of Cuningham Group Architecture, the firm who designed the agrarian complex.
Employee comfort is also a high priority, and it is built into the company’s designing plans. The 319,000 square feet of interior space is all divided into individual offices because Epic’s employers work better having their own space.
Epic wants the surrounding community to be able to enjoy their land, too. The company rents 250 acres of corn and alfalfa farmland to local famers, as well as opens its acres to visitors. Free maps of the farm are provided and all visitors are encouraged to take a tour and view the sites — especially the 20 seat treehouse made from reclaimed wood that the company uses for staff meetings.
Unconventional and at odds with most of our conceptions of a software company, Epic Systems is turning the concept of the traditional office space on its head. If more companies follow their lead, “sustainable, natural and serene” could be the next big trend in corporate decor.
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