Louisiana’s Public Service Commission (PSC) will vote this Wednesday, April 17th on whether to preserve or dismantle net metering in the state. The vote will answer the central question in the net metering docket (LPSC Docket number: R-31417) – how valuable is the solar energy produced from net-metered solar systems? (more…)

Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’ is the latest ‘Downton Abbey.’ Or for us older folks, it is the latest who-shot-JR Ewing – a television series that lots of people are talking about.

A story of Congressional intrigue, the 13-part series has caught the attention of not only the viewing public, but also Washington insiders, who are having (more…)

Much like finding the right romantic partner, finding the perfect lighting can be a difficult journey fraught with questionable choices, embarrassing miscues and impulsive decisions.

You could be attracted to the wrong type of light bulb or make the same bad choices in the lighting aisle. (more…)

SWITCH Lighting, a maker of Light Emitting Diodes lights to replace incandescent light bulbs, is now retailing at over 350 participating Batteries Plus stores across the U.S. The company’s LED lights, a more sustainable lighting alternative to incandescent bulbs, save up to 80 percent energy compared with traditional lights.

Another innovation behind SWITCH LED bulbs is that (more…)

Advanced lighting has brought us not only energy savings, but also a slew of new screw-in-a-light bulb jokes. For LEDs, it usually goes something like this: How many people does it take to screw in a LED light? One. And a roomful of deep wallets to pay for it.

To be fair, the cost of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) has been falling dramatically and is now even (more…)

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve been talking about why energy efficiency matters- to Save the Internet!

Now… what can you do about becoming more energy efficient? In the next few weeks, Smartcool will be publishing a number of helpful handouts on energy efficiency measures for specific types of buildings. (more…)

Great strides for solar occurred in Massachusetts last week with the passage of the 2012 Energy Act. This comprehensive energy bill expands an important solar program called net metering that gives customers credit for the valuable clean power they send to the grid. (more…)

The United Kingdom has topped an energy efficiency ranking of the world’s 12 largest economies, while the United States placed a disappointing ninth overall, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, the (more…)

Imagine this. You live in historic home built in 1916. At the end of your flagstaff walkway, pale grey banisters lead you up weathered stairs onto a wrap around porch. The front window is grand and welcomes early morning sunshine in as you drink your robust Columbian blend. However, your morning coffee isn’t agreeing with you. It’s not that the table cream (more…)

Today we’re celebrating an interim win for California rooftop solar along with our partners at SEIA, IREC and the Sierra Club. Together we have been working to encourage the utility regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to clarify the methodology being used to calculate the cap on the state’s net metering program, that billing (more…)