City of Rancho Cucamonga’s Post

How did the findings from a team of graduate students help a city make a multi-million-dollar investment in electrification? Learn how it was done here 👉🏻 https://loom.ly/QpagbOE #usc #ranchocucamonga #evs #electrification #solpriceschool #capstoneproject #evinfrastructure

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize, according to an Energy.gov post. This prize offers $180 million to school districts nationwide that team up to improve energy use, indoor air quality (IAQ) and learning environments in K-12 schools. It is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and aims to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy in underserved public schools. Competitors will carry out energy assessments and improvement projects in 10 or more school buildings. These buildings can be from one or multiple school districts. Competitors must be capable organizations or teams able to handle projects across multiple buildings. In Phase 1, competitors will form teams and select school buildings that show they need and qualify for investment. Phase 1 winners will get $300,000 and proceed to Phases 2 and 3, where they will work with the DOE through a Cooperative Agreement. Awards in Phases 2 and 3 will differ based on the number of buildings in the portfolio, ranging from $7.5 million to $15 million. DOE will give the biggest awards to portfolios with 20 or more buildings, offering $15,300,000 to winners in this category for completing all three phases. The DOE is currently taking applications for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize. Submissions must be sent in by Thursday, June 13 at 5 p.m. eastern time. To save energy & cost for your business, contact me at https://buff.ly/2EjAMbu. #Reliability #EnergyStorage #EnergyEfficiency #Renewables #EnergyAudit #Procurement #Resilience https://buff.ly/3xbsCQ1

The DOE's 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize allocates $180 million for K-12 energy upgrades, prioritizing disadvantaged communities. Winners receive cash prizes and enter agreements with DOE. Aimed at lowering costs and improving air quality, it supports Biden's infrastructure plan and the Justice40 Initiative. Applications close June 13. #RenewAmericasSchools #DOE #Infrastructure #Justice40

We're beginning the transition to all renewable energy and there's a lot of new infrastructure involved. For example, Eversource is in the planning phase for the construction of a ten-story underground electrical substation with underground distribution cabling for future growth and expansion in Cambridge and Somerville projected for 2029-2030. It's complicated, expensive, and time-consuming work. The interval between now and then concerns many individuals and companies involved with design, development, and construction. From BLDUP, 4/19/24: MIT has requested extra time to begin construction on the redevelopment of the Volpe Center redevelopment in Kendall Square. The university plans 3 million square feet of residential, office, lab, retail, and green space on the site. In January, MIT acquired the property from the Federal Government and has been working to advance the designs for the first phases of the project. Per the filing, MIT is also working with City & Eversource on the design of the infrastructure needed for the development and expects work to begin on this part of the project later this year. Given the complexity of the project and on-needed coordination, MIT has requested that the Planning Board allow for an extension of 1 additional year, to September 2025. #cambridge #meese #renewableenergy #transition #realestate #commercial #residential #compass

Transportation decision-makers typically use benefit-cost analysis (BCA) to evaluate the tradeoffs of transportation projects. However, it is difficult to produce state-specific measures that are multimodal and can consistently evaluate the full range of public and private benefits and costs for Oregonians. Supported by a $200,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Jenny Liu of the PSU Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University will lead a research effort to develop an Oregon-specific, multimodal framework for transportation benefit-cost analysis. Having a framework specifically tailored to Oregon can help ODOT make informed decisions on infrastructure, policies and support programs based on information about the economic and societal impacts of each transportation mode. Launched in May 2024, the project, "Mode-Based Benefit-Cost Analysis Calculator" aims to create an easy-to-update Oregon BCA framework to compare transportation benefits and costs for better policy, program, and investment assessments. The research will also develop a methodology that incorporates equity and distributional assessments into the multimodal BCA framework. This will contribute to ODOT’s Strategic Action Plan priority of equity and inclusion. Read more about the project: https://lnkd.in/g3DWWZpz

Wind Tunnel News Tennessee Tech Wind Tunnel Project Advances in Crossville Tennessee Technological University (TTU) is making significant progress in its ambitious wind tunnel project, recently finalizing the acquisition of a new wind tunnel and the former TAP Publishing building in Crossville, Tennessee. This development is a pivotal moment in a multi-year effort aimed at enhancing the university's research capabilities and expanding its presence in Cumberland County. The new wind tunnel, valued at $50 million, was built in 2017 and is capable of generating wind speeds of up to 175 miles per hour, making it suitable for various research applications. The journey to this point began in 2022 when Tennessee Tech procured an older-model wind tunnel and initiated its relocation to Crossville. However, an opportunity arose in the fall of 2023 to acquire a more advanced wind tunnel, prompting the university to pivot and secure this newer model. Tech President, Phil Oldham emphasized the importance of this project, stating, “Cumberland County has always been an important part of Tennessee Tech’s story... we are able to build an even deeper presence and partnership here in the community.” He expressed optimism about the innovative research and local economic benefits that the new facility will bring, highlighting it as a win for both the university and the surrounding community. The wind tunnel will primarily serve aerospace, vehicle engineering, and wind energy research, facilitating hands-on, large-scale studies. Construction within the former TAP building is expected to commence in late winter or early spring, with plans to build a foundation that can support the wind tunnel. Currently, the wind tunnel is stored at a General Motors test facility outside Detroit, Michigan, and will be transported to Crossville in pieces, with the goal of full reassembly by the summer of 2025. In addition to the wind tunnel, the expansive 120,000 square foot building will also be utilized for classroom space, potentially allowing for future in-person course offerings in Crossville. The university had been working towards acquiring the facility for two years, officially gaining ownership on September 17. Oldham noted the flexibility that the size of the facility provides, allowing the university to creatively serve communities east of Cookeville. #engineeringnews #Windtunnel #windtunnelnews #research #engineering

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has opened the application process for its next round of funding in the Renew America's Schools grant program. DOE anticipates awarding $180 million in grants to invest in energy upgrades that lower energy costs and improve air quality in K12 schools. The last round of funding included a project in Pennsylvania that was led by KCBA Architects, which will invest millions in improving energy efficiency and air quality for schools in one of the poorest districts in the state. These grants can be game changers for schools that have been underfunded for years, if not decades. https://lnkd.in/eF_Qu-xV #energyefficiency #indoorairquality #climateaction #climatepolicy #renewableenergy #schoolimprovement #publicschoolfunding #federalgrants #federalfunding #energypolicy

Imagine if your institution was spending $60M per year on energy and implemented a plan to save 5%? 10%? 20%? Don’t let the fact this Chronicle of Higher Education article was published in 2017 dissuade you. The article perfectly profiles how the University of Pennsylvania addressed its energy costs through a methodical process to audit, analyze, design and implement facility improvement measures that dramatically reduced their campus wide energy costs and accelerated their move to greater sustainability. A story that could be repeated at your school by engaging an Energy Services Company (ESCO) like Centrica. An ESCO utilizes a proven process that leverages future energy savings to fund immediate infrastructure improvements (often with no upfront capital) and unlock consumption reduction that translate to savings. Monies that could be redirected to fund student centered initiatives. For institutions in New England that would like to learn how Centrica could achieve similar results for you and your school, please send me an InMail. For others, I encourage you to reach out to the Centrica representative serving your region.

Austin airport planning for 2 more concourses? I was lucky enough to attend the Austin Chamber's Infrastructure event this past Monday and here are the 3 major takeaways: - Solar and wind energy sources can help generate power and contribute during warmer months (of which we have many). However during colder months, we need power that is being generated at night. During these winter months and colder weather events, Texas needs to consider other proven sources of power, while still focusing on environmental goals. - Batteries "plugged into the grid" can help fill the power demand gaps for a few hours, but not a few days. The way the system is designed, is for a constant "just in time" approach. - And here is the big news! Depending on who you talk to, Austin Bergstrom was designed for 9-11 million annual passengers. We are currently seeing 22 million annual passengers. Many projects are in the works, short term and long term. Short term, adding one concourse. Long term, planning to go to 80 million annual passengers over FOUR total concourses. This is huge! #Infrastructure #Texas

41% of school districts in the U.S. (over 36,000 schools!) need new HVAC (or upgrades). If that describes your school, encourage leaders to apply for this second round of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) $180M funding. Sustainable HVAC leads to clean #indoorair which impacts: 👍 student and teacher health ⬇ absences ➕ learning and teaching