Sustainable Architecture PLLC, W. Brent Swain Architect

08/06/2022

I’ve been wanting to know where we are on the proverbial “hockey stick.” http://theconsensusproject.com/ shows me we’re early enough along the curve to make a difference. (BTW, +8º & +4ºF correspond to +4.4º & +2.2ºC). And doing it in time cuts our cost in half, so these arguments we hear on FoxNews about the economic sacrifice are perhaps disingenuous. Now we know we can ignore that because we have the scientific consensus on our side.

08/06/2022

Volts Podcast. RE: How projects are funded- With IRA, Small business will be able to participate more easily! Direct-Pay -vs- Transferability -vs- Tax Equity Finance (i.e. Goldman Sachs / Wells Fargo JP Morgan Chase getting 30% the $) 19:10-23:00

‎Show Volts, Ep Volts podcast: what to make of the Democrats' last-minute climate bill - Aug 3, 2022

08/06/2022

Jesse Jenkins, Princeton professor and energy modeler, and Leah Stokes, professor of political science at UC Santa Barbara spoke with Volts Host David Roberts in what felt like an exhaustive list and explication of the contents of the staggering IRA bill up for debate this weekend – though with $369b scheduled for the climate related provisions alone there is no way for them to cover everything. It is the most impressive treatment of the topic so far. Required listening, and fun. You'll end up downloading it, I promise.

‎Show Volts, Ep Volts podcast: what to make of the Democrats' last-minute climate bill - Aug 3, 2022

02/13/2021

Between now and 2050, when U.S. electric generation is predicted to increase about 30% — wind power generation will increase 195% and solar power generation will increase 753%. Innovation will come down to the speed at which businesses realize that zero-carbon electrons are becoming ever more abundant and less expensive.

They’ve both grown exponentially over the last 30 years. Now there’s just one more decimal place to go.

01/06/2020

Home PVs can power electric cars. And Nikola Motors may have found the Holy Grail of batteries, an alternative to today’s lithium-ion tech that could double the distance a battery-electric vehicle can travel between charges, while cutting battery costs in half.

Automakers are spending billions of dollars in a fierce battle to develop better batteries to power the upcoming industry shift to all-electric vehicles.

12/31/2019

“In 2010, batteries powered our phones and computers. By the end of the decade, they are starting to power our cars and houses too. The next step, and what will define the next decade, is utility-scale storage.”

Batteries hold the key ingredient for transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence, and the next decade could prove transformational.

12/15/2019

Costs are falling so fast, it can make more sense to build new renewable capacity than to run old coal plants.

12/14/2019

“All you need is a 100 by 100 mile patch in a deserted corner of Arizona, Texas or Utah (or anywhere) to more than power the entire USA.”

But how much would it cost? Well...

11/15/2019

https://loe.org/content/2019-11-01/LOE_191101_B2_Borneo.mp3
BASCOMB: And so how did you come to this idea of providing health care for people as a way to reduce deforestation?
WEBB: So what's really interesting is you look at this situation where the communities really love the forest, they honor and respect it, and they want it to be there for future generations. But the logging was rampant, it was completely out of control. And when I first went there, it was like the forest stretched to the horizon. And then it was just shrinking and you could hear the chainsaws all the time. And at first, I was just so angry at these people. But then I realized, and I talked to many of them, and what they told me was, you know, if my child is sick, or my family member is sick, I have no choice and it's one of the only ways to get cash. At another national park where we recently just started working, one woman told me, if anyone ever tells you that they have not logged to pay for health care, they are lying to you. Because there is no other way to get that much money, and one medical emergency can cost an entire year's income.

09/02/2019

Very informative quiz. See how much you know! 🍃

We need unprecedented action to stop climate change. Take CNN's quiz to see how much you know about the most effective solutions.

06/28/2019

Grid parity.

Renewables provided 23% of U.S. power in April, while coal generated 20%.

10/22/2018

No longer content to just deliver everything under the sun to your house, Amazon will now deliver you an actual house. A shipping container house to be specific. MODS International has now made their shipping container home shockingly easy to order, all it takes is a few clicks and small space susta...