Can you imagine a skylight fixture in your home you can program to mimic the sun – perhaps tricking your preschooler into believing that it is bedtime when it’s only 3:30 in the afternoon? It’s possible. Earlier this year, Jeff Hungarter, a director at Cree Lighting (a leading innovator in energy efficiency lighting) introduced a new product called Cadiant. Cadiant uses lighting controls with multi-dimensional LED panels and color-changing technology to change the lighting in individual rooms of your home. Walk from room to room and you can quickly travel through 12 hours of lighting. Impressive!
History of Microgrids in the United States
Do you think the concept of a microgrid is new? It turns out, it is not. In fact, Thomas Alva Edison introduced the first microgrid in 1882. It combined heat and power and produced electricity and thermal energy. Much has changed since then. You can read a complete accounting of the evolution of microgrids since that time here.
Exploring Heat Islands…They Are Not Surrounded by Water
Have you ever wondered why it seems so much hotter in Boston, New York, or any big city? Wonder no more – the answer is the “urban heat island effect.”
The heat island affect can be found in areas that are dense with buildings and paved surfaces (roads and sidewalks) that absorb the sun’s heat. This causes the area to be several degrees warmer than surrounding areas.
Some factors that contribute to this are:
- Paved surfaces absorb solar radiation as heat.
- Dark surfaces such as dark colored roofs and blacktop absorb more heat
- Very little vegetation
- Waste heat being pumped out of buildings
- Changing climate
What Is the Solution?
Building owners and managers can take steps to offset the phenomenon. Continue reading “Exploring Heat Islands…They Are Not Surrounded by Water”