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COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL CONVERSIONS: A GUIDEBOOK TO AVAILABLE FEDERAL RESOURCES

The unprecedented level of commercial vacancies across the United States has negatively impacted the wellbeing of urban and regional economies nationwide. The conversion of these properties to residential use presents an opportunity to increase housing supply, improve affordability, ultimately create efficient, zero-emissions housing, reduce long term energy costs and volatility, and thereby contribute to local, state, and federal climate goals. […]

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The Untapped Potential of Electric Hot Water Heaters

Your average residential electric hot water heater has a pretty basic function—turn on and heat water when the temperature of the water in the tank drops below a specified level. You just want it to sit in a closet, be quiet and do its job. And please, please PLEASE don’t break and cause a huge expensive mess! But did you know that you can turn a water heater into an asset… one that can make you money and contribute to a cleaner, more efficient energy grid?
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The Yearly Cost Of A Shower Around The World, Mapped

To find out how the annual cost of taking a daily hot shower differs across the globe, QS Supplies looked at the electricity and water usage prices of 89 countries and ranked them from most to least expensive.

They also compared the annual cost of showering to the average yearly income in each country to find out where in the world showering is most and least affordable. […]

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Electric Water Heaters Are Better at Storing Energy Than a Tesla Powerwall

Producing hot water in homes and commercial buildings accounts for 520 million metric tons of carbon every year in the U.S. That’s the equivalent of 113 million cars—nearly half the amount of cars on U.S. roads today. Lowering that number is a high priority if we want to abide by The Paris Agreement and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. […]

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Using electric water heaters to store renewable energy could do the work of 2 million home batteries – and save us billions

Author: David Roche | The Conversation | June 4, 2023 Australia’s energy transition is well under way. Some 3 million households have rooftop solar and sales of medium-sized electric cars are surging. But as we work towards fully electric households powered by renewable energy, have we overlooked a key enabling technology, the humble electric water […]

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IRS: Going green could help taxpayers qualify for expanded home energy tax credits

IR-2023-97, May 4, 2023 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that making certain energy efficient updates to their homes could qualify them for home energy tax credits. The credit amounts and types of qualifying expenses were expanded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Taxpayers who make energy improvements to a residence may […]

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Sunrun, PG&E to roll out 30-MW virtual power plant to support California grid in the summer

Solar and battery storage provider Sunrun announced plans on Monday to create a 30-MW virtual power plant by enrolling up to 7,500 existing and new rooftop solar and battery systems in Pacific Gas & Electric’s footprint.

Storage systems that enroll in the program will be asked to discharge power to the grid every day between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. from August through October, a period when electricity demand in California tends to be the highest. Customers will be compensated with a $750 upfront payment and be given a free smart thermostat. […]

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Water Heaters Have Battery Potential They’re more cost effective for energy storage than electrochemical batteries

Author: Michelle Hampson | IEEE Spectrum | 29 JAN 2023 Water heaters, according to new research, are looking like more than just water heaters in the modern, renewably powered home. They could, in fact, be something closer to a battery. The concept is simple but effective—when energy supply is high, it can be stored as […]

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