Please see the story below, first published in The Ontario Technologist Magazine. The feature photo is Jessie Ma, PhD., a former hydro engineer and a Senior Research Fellow for the Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) at Ryerson University. You can also download the PDF below. The reinvention of electricity By BF Nagy ‘SMART GRID’ IS TURNING OUT TO BE MORE
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1. Polluters should pay. It’s not fair that some individuals and organizations pollute our world more than others. They may intend to change their ways but the government uses a carbon price to discourage procrastination. 2. On the other hand it may not be fair for the government to apply a big carbon price ‘overnight.’ Instead it is phased in gradually over time, allowing
Read moreSUCCESSFUL POWER PLAYS IN THE 21ST CENTURY This article appeared originally in the International Business Times. By BF Nagy At one time you could offshore something, realize a big cost saving, get promoted to the executive suite, score more stock options, and buy a new swimming pool. That’s not working so well anymore, so what else is trending? How about
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It’s time to advance your business or career by recognizing what is misinformation and what is reality. 1. Operating cost: Save on lighting, cooling, heating, equipment operation, motors, and fleet operation. Lighting upgrades pay for themselves in one year. HVAC and process upgrades pay out in three years. Each electric fleet vehicle going 200,000 miles saves about $100,000. Just modernize existing
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We environmentalists have to evolve our storytelling if we want the media to help. Their audience wants: What’s in it for me or my family? 1. Save money at home or work 2. Start something exciting or a new business (3. Help the planet) Tell me something I don’t know Examples: Texas is the wind power capital of the
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BF NAGY RANT – OUR HOME IS SICK BUT IT CAN BE FIXED. No matter who you are, what god you believe in or who you have voted for in the past, you know what’s happening in our world. And you know what that little voice inside of you is saying. Whatever rhetoric or so called clever arguments you may
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HOW CAN I MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE? In my day-to-day professional work I write for engineers and architects and government planners and fleet managers. I talk about success stories involving electric vehicle fleets and conversions, energy positive buildings and passive houses, new models for governments, utilities and banks to fund and accommodate the transition to cleaner technology, improvements in storage
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You can always learn new things and get better. I’ve been a professional writer for a long time and thought I was pretty good at storytelling, but I recently began reading a book released a couple of years ago called The Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo. Gallo has some impressive credentials, as a storytelling coach to some people who you
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I sometimes meet people who are not interested in politics and have few opinions in that area, but more often I meet people who have political opinions. I certainly fall into the latter category, but I truly believe that climate change solutions and priorities should not be a partisan discussion. Because of the way the issue has evolved in the
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BIKES I love my bike. I love the chill morning air as I slip through damp city streets at daybreak. I love flitting through the leafshadows on the lakefront bike path, miles from home on a breezy-haired warm summer evening with an utterly unplanned plan. I love the quiet among the grasses; the honking and colour in the city. I
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My thing is to be positive. I try to focus on solutions and priorities and not get too mired in dwelling on the negative effects of climate change, or the climate change fight, which always seem to receive enough exposure without my help. But there is one positive story that must be told even if it is based on the
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I’m tempted to laugh. I’m tempted to wonder cynically if they’re just appeasing progressive shareholders, or will they try to buy all the electric car charging companies and close them. But none of that is possible anymore. In fact it’s their own analysts who are predicting the massive transportation disruption. A Bloomberg article reports that BP Plc says electric vehicle
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It was 70% more energy efficient than older models, was relatively expensive, and the home owners who bought them recovered the difference in about three years…
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He has the pitching skills of Al Gore, the instincts of Thomas Edison, the vision of Steve Jobs, and the heart of Nicola Tesla…
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We’re ending confusion. We’re talking about solutions. Less climate debate. Less talk about the problem. Solutions. Measured results…
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I’m always amazed by the amount of talent in the room when I meet with my friends in the Climate Reality group, in this case, in Toronto (organized by Matthew Chapman). We had some fun, talked about projects, played billiards and ate some awesome food at The Rivoli, a long-time favourite place on Queen West. We all deliver the famous
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When something is less expensive and also a better technology like a digital camera, it becomes a no-brainer. Everyone on every side of the partisan divide should now be able to agree that we can both save money and clean up our world using renewable power generation…
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Some people in North America are building net-zero for the same cost as a conventional building, but these are the determined construction veterans. Still it indicates what’s possible…
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We’re having our worldview coloured by either numerous sources or not enough sources; and of course, the quality of those information sources can vary significantly too. We really do need a training course or set of guidelines…
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Montreal’s Olympic Stadium has a special place in history as the most over-budget white elephant project in the world of architecture…
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If we’re going to revere them and make them wealthy because they’re the darlings on our screens, they should be setting the example for how to create a better world…
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With the rise of cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and exascale super-computers for science, global data traffic could zoom to 15.3 zettabytes per year by 2020. A zettabyte equals 1000 gigabytes x 1000 x 1000 x 1000…
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During the life of the car you will save about $20,000 on fuel and a few thousand on maintenance, when compared to a gas car. Fleet vans travelling 300,000 miles save about $97,000 in fuel costs…
Read moreWatch the one-minute video for inspiration, then with a bit of Googling you can save yourself some money on the purchase of or financing for these important initiatives, then keep saving money while reducing greenhouse gas…
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Lawmakers in Washington and state capitals would be unwise to ignore this growing attitude shift, particularly given that the clean energy economy is now doing far more to add to GDP and jobs than gas and coal are doing…
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We should probably simplify and focus on the highest priority solutions…
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As with most green building technology, HRVs pay for themselves in a few years and there’s probably a grant available from your local government or utility…
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That new gas furnace will be outlawed in about 10 years. A lot of contractors will recommend gas anyway because that’s what they know how to install…
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A passive house is a very high standard super-insulated building that reduces the heating or cooling load by an incredible 80% – 90%…
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Experts say that many of our buildings are so leaky they might as well have a hole in the wall as big as a beach ball, or bigger…
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Congratulations to Alaska Airlines and others who have been taking steps to green their operations…
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Rather than paying big energy bills every month, like a lifetime sentence, invest in high quality modern windows and good insulation…
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It reduces your carbon footprint and cuts water heating costs by about half, by re-using your water heat energy to preheat the incoming cold water…
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Stunningly beautiful laneway homes. Some are net-zero and most include super-insulation…
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Geothermal in the city? Scott Roberts of Niles, Michigan says everything is getting smaller, less expensive and smarter, including…
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Once we put the return on investment on paper, people get it immediately. With new construction of a big house, if you’re not installing geo, you haven’t done your homework…
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Stewart Brown spent 29 years as a researcher at Ontario Hydro, so he knew…
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Ethical opportunities for progressive investors to earn competitive returns, while providing funding for clean energy projects…
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For homeowners, there has never been a better time to save money while fighting climate change…
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In North America it will soon be illegal to build a new home that uses more energy than it generates…
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Many people are unaware of the fact that cap-and-trade programs mean that the biggest polluters pay the most for pollution, rather than all taxpayers paying more than our fair share…
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“The F-150 is America,” says Mitchell Yow, who has done something a lot of people will be very interested in. He has developed a true bolt-on fully electric package for the Ford F-150…
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The Chevy Bolt had a terrific first year, selling 23,242 vehicles in the US and increasing sales in virtually every month of the year. It was the best selling fully electric car…
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A few homes came with enough panels to power the house and an electric car for 30,000 miles. He’s working on more than 100 net-zero or better homes that cost just…
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Solar panels on the roofs of more than 300 stores, LED lighting and geothermal under parking lots, electric vehicle charging stations, and state-of-the-art…
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“We’re saving more than 80% on fuel compared to gas vehicles and 50% on maintenance. New York has also reduced fatalities and liability costs with modern…
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An intelligent billing and data system allows the hotel to choose to provide charging for free, for a nominal fee, or at market rates, depending on whether the user is a guest, an employee,…
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Curt Radkin at Wells Fargo says.“Sustainability is good business.” The bank has provided $70 billion+ in financing for green projects, is involved in 8% of all wind and solar…
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Using the IREE designation to certify clean energy projects as investor-ready, this well-structured new program is popular with investment firms and banks, and is contributing to unprecedented…
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