Thank you for your interest in RMI and for your support.
During our 25 years, Rocky Mountain Institute has been asked thousands of questions on hundreds of topics. So that we can more efficiently and conveniently respond, we have compiled answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions, including those on green building, energy efficiency, advanced transportation, and more. Our FAQ page will provide answers to the most commonly asked questions and offer a number of useful resources*.
Please find your question below:
Green Buildings and Sustainable Design
Can RMI help me design a new home?
How can I obtain the consulting services of RMI’s Built Environment Team for a building project?
How can I make my home more efficient?
Can RMI help me install a renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) system for my home?
Energy and Energy Security
Why can’t the United States use only renewable sources of energy to power the country?
How can hydrogen help us end our dependence on fossil fuels?
Is nuclear power the best way to lower our carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas emissions?
Transportation
Can I buy a Hypercar®?
What are the best ways to make cars and trucks more fuel-efficient?
General RMI Questions
Where can I learn about RMI’s super-efficient headquarters?
Can Amory Lovins speak at our event?
How can I work for RMI?
Green Buildings and Sustainable Design
Can RMI help me design a new home?
Rocky Mountain Institute does not typically consult on the design or construction of residences. Most of the projects the Built Environment Team works on are larger buildings such as libraries, museums, laboratories, offices, and schools, as well as entire communities. [Learn more about RMI's BET Projects]
Energy-efficient and sustainable homes remain very important to the success of our communities and RMI supports a number of green builders, architects, and contractors. Please see the list below for websites where you can find information on green builders in your area and green building products such as super-windows, insulation, and efficient lighting.
U.S. Green Building Council
World Green Building Council
Green Building Blocks
The Green Home Guide
Green Building Pages
Global Green USA - Green Building Resource Center
BuildingGreen.com - Green Building Products
How can I obtain the consulting services of RMI’s Built Environment Team for a building project?
To learn more about BET’s consulting services please visit the BET consulting services page. The most efficient way to contact our Built Environment Team regarding a potential project is by completing a Service Inquiry Form. By filling out this initial contact sheet, with as much detail as possible, our sustainable design specialists will be able to carry out the primary analysis and contact you with next steps.
How can I make my home more efficient?
There are a number of ways to make your home more efficient in terms of energy consumption, water usage, and waste production. RMI has been asked this question so often in our 25 years that a few years ago we published a set of nine Home Energy Briefs, all of which describe different ways the average homeowner can save energy and resources around the house. Please see the list below for these and other useful links to help you make your home as sustainable as possible.
RMI’s Home Energy Briefs
More RMI Pages:
Energy Efficiency
Appliances and Lighting
Home Cooling
Household Water Efficiency
Resource-Efficient Construction
Friendly Building Materials
Indoor Air Quality
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Other Links:
Energy STAR
The Green Home Guide - Guide for Green Renovation
153 Ways to Go Green
Can RMI help me install a renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) system for my home?
Rocky Mountain Institute does not install renewable energy systems or consult on smaller building projects. However, with many incentives enabling a homeowner to sell back excess power to the grid, qualify for a rebate, or receive a tax credit now available, small-scale renewable power is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. If you are interested in installing a renewable power system there are a wealth of resources worth exploring. A good place to start is the Database for State Incentives on Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), which outlines all of the different programs and policies for each state as well as federal incentives. Please also see the links to the other renewable energy directories listed below.
Database for State Incentives on Renewables and Efficiency
Find Solar
American Solar Energy Society - Renewable Resources Directory
Renewable Energy Access
American Wind Energy Association - Directory Search
U.S. DOE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Energy and Energy Security
Why can’t the United States use only renewable sources of energy to power the country?
While renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power offer great potential to meet the nation’s energy needs, RMI endorses the efficient use of energy as the most important, economical, underused, overlooked, and misunderstood way to meet our energy demands. Efficiency is rapidly becoming more feasible and economical as technologies, delivery methods, and integrative design improve. However with efforts to end our dependence on fossil fuels there is no “silver bullet” and RMI believes that a diversified energy portfolio - including but not limited to renewable energy - is important to meeting our future energy demands. For more detailed information please see the links below.
Energy End-Use Efficiency
Clean Renewables and Efficiency, Not Coal, Are the Key
How can hydrogen help us end our dependence on fossil fuels?
As a nearly ideal energy carrier, hydrogen will play a critical role in a new, decentralized energy infrastructure that can provide power for vehicles, homes, and industries. Hydrogen boasts many important advantages over other fuels: it is non-toxic, renewable, clean to use, and packs much more energy per pound than other fuels. Hydrogen is the least complex and most abundant element in the universe. We at RMI believe that the growing interest in transitioning to a hydrogen economy is defensible, and, if properly done, could yield important national and global benefits. However, as public awareness of hydrogen technologies increases a great deal of conflicting, confusing, and often ill-informed commentary has arisen. To find out more, please follow the links below.
Twenty Hydrogen Myths
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Is nuclear power the best way to lower our carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas emissions?
No. For a summary of RMI’ s position on nuclear energy please see our Nuclear Power page and our Nuclear Energy Publications. Also be sure to read about the strategies to end our dependence on fossil fuels that we endorse in Winning the Oil Endgame and Clean Renewables and Efficiency, Not Coal, Are the Key.
Transportation
Can I buy a Hypercar®?
Unfortunately, there is no Hypercar® readily available for public purchase. The Hypercar® concept was developed by RMI in the 1990s and the idea was then presented to several major automobile manufacturers to maximize competitive advantage surrounding the concept. In 1999 the Hypercar® project spun off into a for-profit venture, Hypercar, Inc., which was later renamed Fiberforge. They have developed some key Hypercar® concepts, such as vehicle lightweighting using carbon fiber and composite materials. For further information about the Hypercar® chronology and details of the design, please visit www.hypercar.com. For more information on Fiberforge, please visit www.fiberforge.com.
What are the best ways to make cars and trucks more fuel-efficient?
Making cars and trucks more efficient is a matter of minimizing energy losses. Computer modeling and research of technical developments by RMI’s MOVE team suggest that the best way to do this is through a combination of lightweighting, aerodynamics, hybrid-electric technology and efficient accessories. To learn more please visit our page on How to Design a Better Road Vehicle.
General RMI Questions
Where can I learn about RMI’s super-efficient headquarters?
Please visit our online virtual tour of the RMI Headquarters in Snowmass, Colorado:
RMI Headquarters Photo Tour.
Can Amory Lovins speak at our event?
Getting Amory or another RMI staff member for an engagement requires just two things: booking well in advance of your event and paying the speaker’s fee. Unfortunately Amory is very limited in the number of pro-bono outreach engagements he can commit to - his time is simply too scarce and the number of requests too high. If you wish to check the availability of Amory or another RMI staff member, please click on the following link to submit a formal request for an RMI speaker.
Our other RMI staff members have a wide range of expertise. If you would like to see whether another RMI staff member would be appropriate for your event, you can browse our Staff List. Amory and our RMI staff members are also available for scheduled videoconferences to address smaller audiences at substantially reduced fees.
How can I work for RMI?
RMI works with leading companies to rethink their products, processes, organization structures, and strategies. Many of our staff members are well-accomplished scientists with expertise in engineering, physics, architecture, and more. If you would like to see what positions RMI is currently trying to fill and the qualifications necessary to apply, please see our Jobs at RMI website. RMI also maintains a robust internship program for recent graduates and those with less experience than our full-time staff. Please see our currently available Internships if you would like to learn more.
If your inquiry is not addressed on this FAQ page, please CLICK HERE to contact an RMI staff member.
* This page contains links to Internet resource sites collected by RMI staff to facilitate research and relationships for those interested in energy efficiency, sustainable design and advanced transportation. This resource is not exhaustive and will remain a work in progress. Please note that Rocky Mountain Institute cannot be held liable for the contents of the referenced websites nor the inclusion and/or omission of links on this page.
