Insights and observations from our practice and elsewhere

Freezers are Cool again!

Freezers are Cool again!

With all the talk of batteries as we move towards a 100% renewable grid, have you wondered whatever happened to thermal storage? Thermal storage (ice, chilled water, hot water) originally achieved some prominence as a way to shift building load from peak to off-peak...

read more
How Buildings Alive’s AI helps cut energy costs and carbon

How Buildings Alive’s AI helps cut energy costs and carbon

Recently we released new artificial intelligence (AI) technology that changes the way energy is managed in buildings. How does it compare to generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, DALL-E and Midjourney? There are similarities in approach, but let’s wind back a bit...

read more
Our clients are getting ‘real’ about carbon 24/7

Our clients are getting ‘real’ about carbon 24/7

Since September 2021, the automated monthly reports we send to our clients summarizing their portfolios' energy savings have contained a footnote that normally reads something like this one: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measured at hourly intervals throughout the...

read more
What’s a high integrity offset?

What’s a high integrity offset?

The UN Secretary-General is widely regarded as the world’s top diplomat. So António Guterres’ language at the launch of a High-Level report on Net-Zero Commitments in November spoke volumes: Using bogus ‘net-zero’ pledges to cover up massive fossil fuel expansion is...

read more
Ten action-packed years, so what’s next?

Ten action-packed years, so what’s next?

Buildings Alive started out ten years ago with a simple question: what would happen if you provided building operators with clear, daily feedback about the energy and environmental performance of their buildings? Would they find it motivating? Would they experiment?...

read more
Making our business a force for good!

Making our business a force for good!

After a rigorous process, Buildings Alive is proud to announce that we have been certified as a B Corporation (B Corp). We join a global community of over 5000 companies across 158 industries in 85 countries. B Corp is a global community of businesses with a common...

read more
2022 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

2022 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

In August, the first in-person ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (aka “Summer Camp for Energy Nerds” - around 1,000 of them) was held in Pacific Grove, California. Buildings Alive was privileged to present 3 papers (authored by Craig Roussac and Hao...

read more
We Need Buildings to Help Solve the Energy Crisis

We Need Buildings to Help Solve the Energy Crisis

Surging gas, coal, and oil prices are driving up inflation and putting the global economy under enormous strain. Electricity prices too are on an upward spiral because, in most markets, expensive and unreliable gas and coal supplies are the primary fuel for...

read more
Energy Impact of COVID Ventilation Strategies

Energy Impact of COVID Ventilation Strategies

As we enter Year 3 of the pandemic, it’s obvious that COVID-19 is going to be with us for a while. In response to living with the virus, some buildings have implemented revised ventilation strategies in an attempt to reduce likelihood of transmission in buildings and...

read more
Fast forward to a carbon-free energy future, 24/7

Fast forward to a carbon-free energy future, 24/7

With all the COP26 news last month, there was a lot to digest. One thing you may have missed was that in the United Nation's 'SDG7' pavilion an initiative was quietly released that we think will have a global impact - the launch of the 24/7 Carbon-free Global Energy...

read more