Most Americans are unaware of the true financial value of solar today. Seen by many as a technological luxury, solar energy is not seriously considered as an option by most homeowners in the U.S. However, our analysis shows that, in 46 of America’s 50 largest cities, a fully-financed, typically-sized solar PV system is a better investment than the stock market, and in 42 of these cities, the same system already costs less than energy from a residential customer’s local utility…So why aren’t more Americans investing in solar? There is a clear information gap, and with this report, we intend to open the eyes of average homeowners by showing that solar can generate both significant monthly savings and long-term investment value, and not infrequently, cost less than energy from some of America’s largest electric utilities.
View this complete post...Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Going Solar in America: Ranking Solar Value to Consumers
Monday, January 26th, 2015Do You ORCycle? New App Aims to Improve Cycling in Oregon
Friday, November 14th, 2014Responding to a clear lack of data relating to infrastructure issues, safety, and cycling routes, ORCycle proposes to connect cyclists directly with transportation planners, potentially leading to rapid improvements in the efficiency and safety of Oregon’s cycling network.
View this complete post...Computer and Internet Use in the United States
Thursday, November 13th, 2014UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU
As part of the 2008 Broadband Data Improvement Act, the U.S. Census Bureau began asking about computer and Internet use in the 2013 American Community Survey (ACS). Federal agencies use these statistics to measure and monitor the nationwide development of broadband networks and to allocate resources intended to increase access to broadband technologies, particularly among groups with traditionally low levels of access. State and local governments can use these statistics for similar purposes. Understanding how people in specific cities and towns use computers and the Internet will help businesses and nonprofits better serve their communities as well.
Interactive Map: Geothermal Energy Potential
Tuesday, November 11th, 2014The U.S. Department of Energy has collected data on heat flows in the United States for decades, and has visualized the information in a variety of ways. Their latest interactive map shows where the most geothermal energy potential is located, and where energy companies are already capitalizing on geothermal sources to bolster the grid.
View this complete post...Future of Rail 2050
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014ARUP
This thought-piece focuses on the passenger and user experience. The journeys imagined here are intended to generate a conversation about the future and provide the big picture context for future planning and decision-making by the rail industry and by governments. They are also intended to set out a forward-looking and inspiring vision for rail. With the increasing pace of technological change, perhaps the more imaginative scenarios will come to fruition. The case studies indicate trends taking place in rail. They are early signs of possible directional change, and reveal directions in which the future could be heading. Whether these become more widely implemented remains to be seen.
Re-Programming Mobility: The Digital Transformation of Transportation in the United States
Tuesday, October 7th, 2014RUDIN CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION & POLICY MANAGEMENT
For decades, transportation experts have anticipated a sweeping technological transformation of the way Americans travel, and the transportation system they use to do so. That transformation has arrived, as the same digital technologies that have reshaped other sectors of the economy, from finance to retailing, are rapidly re-wiring the networks that provide mobility to hundreds of millions of Americans. The changes associated with these innovations are being felt at all scales – from individual trip planning to the design and management of regional mass transit systems.
Solar-Paneled Roadways: Future Infrastructure
Wednesday, October 1st, 2014We’re all aware that America’s infrastructure is in trouble and needs some serious restoration work done ASAP…I don’t need to convince you that we have an urgent problem…Instead, I am here to spark a conversation about a potential solution to two of the problems. In my opinion it’s a pretty sweet deal as it is one solution that fixes two issues. I don’t know about you, but when I’m shopping around I’m a sucker for two for one deals so this tickles my fancy nicely. The problems are our aging roadways and power grid. The solution, potentially, is solar freakin’ roadways.
View this complete post...The Dancing Traffic Light
Monday, September 15th, 2014We believe that smart ideas can turn the city into a better place. Like a dancing traffic light that makes people wait and watch rather than walk through the red light. FOR more safety. #WhatAreYouFOR– smart on YouTube
View this complete post...#WomenInSTEM: Making a Cleaner Future
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014Mallory uses geographic information systems or GIS – a mapping software that she compares to “a real-life videogame” – to assess how various constraints, such as wetlands or an airport, may interact with potential renewable energy projects. Her aim is to site and design projects that can effectively co-exist with the surrounding environment.
View this complete post...Scaling Up Energy Efficiency Across the Data Center Industry
Friday, August 29th, 2014NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
Data centers are the backbone of the modern economy, from the server rooms that power small- to medium-sized organizations, to the enterprise data centers that support American corporations, to the server farms that run cloud computing services hosted by Amazon, Facebook, Google, and others. However, the explosion of digital content, big data, e-commerce, and Internet traffic is also making data centers one of the fastest-growing users of electricity in developed countries, and one of the key drivers in the construction of new power plants in the United States.
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