RMI Outlet
Plug Into New Ideas
Sleepless in the Senate
Twenty-eight Democratic Senators recently pulled an all-nighter in Congress to bring awareness to climate change issues. The effort, led by Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, had hoped to “wake up” Congress and get them serious about addressing the issue.
Building the Electricity System of the Future: Thinking Disruption, Doing Solutions
The speed of disruptive innovation in the electricity sector has been outpacing regulatory and utility business model reform, which is why they now sometimes feel in conflict. That disruptive innovation is only accelerating.
Solar Empowerment in a Rural Nicaraguan Community
Forty years ago Sabana Grande, a small community in northern Nicaragua, was ravaged by war. Now you will find people sitting under solar-powered lights, eating solar-cooked chicken, and drinking smoothies made by a bicycle-powered blender.
Nest Metering
Late last year I noticed that our thermostat seemed to be on the fritz. It routinely ignored the temperature schedule we programmed. Meanwhile, it wasn’t detecting the temperature of the house accurately. Both of these things caused us to use more energy than we needed and made our home less comfortable to live in.
An Unconventional Look at an Unconventional Building
Welcome to the new headquarters of the Hilton Foundation. At first glance, you’d notice solar panels on the roof, abundant windows and daylight, and accessible natural outdoor spaces. But what really sets this high-performance building apart can’t be seen quite so literally.