by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 23, 2015 | Energy Rant
The ACEEE just released a study on energy efficiency programs delivered as games – gamification. At this stage of my career, I never dismiss something that works, for some people, as dumb. Gamification does not seem to be something I would be interested in as...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 16, 2015 | Energy Rant
Twenty-five years ago, I lived in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington: the distance from my condo apartment to work was four miles as the crow flies; a half hour as the car drives. Monthly parking fees were $100, so I biked. Today, in Wisconsin, these...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 9, 2015 | Energy Rant
Not that my opinion is worth anything, but the results of Chicago’s 2014 commercial building benchmarking report are excellent. The report indicates that most of the 348 buildings that were benchmarked for the study were benchmarked using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 2, 2015 | Energy Rant
A few weeks ago I talked about smart meter, smart meter, smart meter, smart meter… in, who would have guessed(!), The Deaf and Mute Smart Meter. Today I talk about something with similar sex appeal with, to my knowledge, scarce measured/verified results[1]. The...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jan 19, 2015 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Last week, I received a late Christmas package in the form of an opportunity to throw a pitch for code compliance that would actually move the needle. This will be at the AESP National Conference in Orlando. I owe a substantial thank you to ACEEE for choosing papers...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jan 5, 2015 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Smart meter. Smart meter. Smart meter. Smart meter. Smart grid. Smart grid. Smart grid. Smart grid. So what? What are customers, utilities, rate payers, and tax payers getting for their money? At an AESP conference several years ago, I sat in place of a...
by Jeff Ihnen | Dec 15, 2014 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
This week’s post features a strong shot of irony. South Dakota ranks 49th of 51 jurisdictions (50 states plus the District of Columbia) in ACEEE’s 2014 Energy Efficiency Scorecard report, yet its citizens overwhelmingly support wind power. And when I say they...
by Jeff Ihnen | Dec 1, 2014 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
As you must know, the EPA’s release of its Clean Power Plan on June 2nd of this year includes four “building blocks” to achieve a 30% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, using a reference year of 2005. Those building blocks are as follows: Improve the heat...
by Jeff Ihnen | Nov 17, 2014 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Last week, I was reviewing a scope of work for retro-commissioning, also cleverly known as RCx – and it moved me to pulling hair out by the fistful. “That’s it”, I thought. “I’m going to relieve my rage on next week’s Energy Rant.” First, there is the infamous...
by Jeff Ihnen | Nov 10, 2014 | Energy Rant
Last week I attended the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) conference in Atlanta. With that, I have a confession to make: I rarely sit and listen to speakers or take notes either because there is nothing new[1], and there is rarely any sort of technical or...
