QUICK NEWS, July 21: THE PROMISE OF SOLAR’S NUMBERS; LIVING GEOTHERMAL HOBBIT-LIKE; SMART THERMOSTAT BIZ LEADERS
THE PROMISE OF SOLAR’S NUMBERS Two Numbers: Solar Energy's Price Drop, Ahead of Schedule, Could Help Save the Planet
Zoe Schlanger, July 15, 2015 (Newsweek)
“…[The just-announced White House series of measures intended to make solar power more accessible to low- and middle-income households would have been unthinkable not long ago] because solar was too expensive. But the price in the U.S. has plummeted 70 percent since 1998, from nearly $86,000 for a 5-kilowatt installation (the average residential solar array) to just $26,000 in 2014…That translates to a massive drop in per-month energy costs…[from $76.67 a watt to 60 cents per watt while the average retail price of electricity in the U.S.] is $1.26 a watt…Many predict that as the price of solar technology continues to fall, and the pressures on nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions mount, the sun will provide a major share of the world’s future energy mix. A report by the International Energy Agency last year predicted solar could be the world’s main source of energy as soon as 2050.” click here for more
LIVING GEOTHERMAL HOBBIT-LIKE These Geothermal Mountain Dwellings Look Like They Belong In The Shire; Built Into A Mountain In Japan, The Miyawaki Gurido Complex Is Temperature Controlled Thanks To The Mountain's Geothermal Properties.
Meg Miller, July 17, 2015 (GizModo via Fast Company)
“In Japan, a country whose territory is almost three-quarters mountainous, developing new property outside of the densely packed urban areas can be problematic—unless you're willing to work with the terrain instead of against it…[Architect Keita Nagata] built Miyawaki Gurido, a Shire-ready housing complex that is literally buried into the side of the mountain…[S]ince the complex is surrounded by the mountain's soil, geothermal energy stabilizes the indoor temperature to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating and cooling tubes below the dwelling capture fresh air through an air-supply tower and pump it into the house to regulate the temperature as needed…[R]ent ranges from around $500 for the smaller units to $1,080 for the larger ones…” click here for more
SMART THERMOSTAT BIZ LEADERS Navigant Research Leaderboard Report: Smart Thermostats; Assessment of Strategy and Execution for 12 Smart Thermostat Hardware, Software, and Services Vendors for Utility and Commercial Markets
3Q 2015 (Navigant Research)
“The market for communicating and smart thermostats has exploded with activity…[The technology has evolved] into a stable and growing market. The year 2015 has seen…conclusive evidence of cost-effectiveness [in collaborations between ecobee and Carrier and Nest and solar provider SolarCity, as well as continued expansion of global marketing on behalf of Nest and tado…Heightened awareness of residential energy management and growing interest in particular devices, such as the Nest and ecobee smart thermostats, have fueled an end-consumer-based spike in the smart thermostat market…Despite challenges such as the affordability of energy…[newer] players like tado have given longtime vendors, such as Honeywell and Carrier, some additional competition…[and] disrupted the status quo by going direct to consumers, attracting early adopters and a few mainstream consumers…” click here for more
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