RMI Outlet

Plug Into New Ideas

Black History and Culture in a Green Building

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is about to become the newest member of the Smithsonian system on the National Mall, in a dazzling building that is more sustainable than any before it. At the official opening this Saturday, Victor Olgyay, a principal at RMI and a leader of RMI’s buildings practice, and Elaine Gallagher Adams, a former manager with RMI’s buildings practice, will be taking part. The pair was involved with the project from its very beginning, as was RMI.

A Necessary Low-Carbon Development Strategy for Chinese Buildings

China has the opportunity to improve the thermal comfort of building occupants without increasing energy use by designing new buildings (and retrofitting old ones) to have many of the passive features that RMI’s Innovation Center demonstrates. These features require very low levels of energy to fuel them, and deliver thermal comfort that is better than what most Chinese buildings are delivering now.

Minnesota Charts a Path Toward a Clean, Affordable, and Resilient Energy System

For decades, Minnesota has been a leader in energy innovation, beginning in 1980 with its Conservation Improvement Program Statute, through its 2007 Renewable Energy Standards, and continuing today with its community solar gardens. Minnesota's newly released 2025 Energy Action Plan lays out a path to enable the state to meet its ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency goals.

Research Release: An Energy Roadmap for China

Late last week, China and the U.S. announced that they are formally joining the Paris agreement to combat climate change. Download our Reinventing Fire: China Executive Summary, the most sophisticated model of China’s energy use to date and a roadmap to slash carbon emissions and energy use by 2050, all at a net economic benefit.

Community-Scale Solar Can Power Corporations, Too

A new option for corporations interested in fueling their operations with clean energy is arising: community-scale solar. An insight brief from RMI’s Shine initiative, which aspires to aggressively accelerate the deployment of community-scale solar systems in the U.S., details the opportunities that community-scale solar offers. Corporations are entering the renewables market in force, and they will find much to like in the community-scale solar market segment.