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Clean Energy 101: Solid-State Cooling. Why revolutionary technologies are key to solving the cooling challenge. RMI Lindsay Rasmussen,  Yulin Lou March 13, 2025 An exciting class of technologies is poised to revolutionize the cooling landscape — solid-state, or those that use solid materials and an applied field or force to generate heating and cooling. While startups are still improving performance and optimizing to reduce cost, there is promise that solid-state cooling technologies could reduce energy consumption, eliminate harmful refrigerants used in today’s heating and cooling systems, and majorly disrupt the market.......exploring the potential and landscape of solid-state cooling.
The Challenge: Balancing access with emissions Cooling — both air conditioning and refrigeration — is no longer a luxury but a global necessity, essential for human productivity, health, and survival. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and for the first time, the global average temperature surpassed the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. Sixty percent of the global population now faces deadly heat conditions, of which a third have little to no access to cooling solutions. This creates a fundamental dilemma: balancing comfortable living conditions with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon emissions from cooling are significant and growing rapidly. Most units purchased and in use are inefficient — the average efficiency of air conditioning (AC) units sold today is less than one-third that of the best available technology. Refrigeration and space cooling are responsible for over 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, or 4.4 GtCO2e annually, with an additional 1 GtCO2e from food loss due to inadequate refrigeration. Cooling-related emissions are expected to double by 2050, driven by increasing temperatures and a growing middle class. Beyond emissions, cooling is expected to drive peak electricity demand, especially in hot countries, putting additional strain on already stressed grids and potentially requiring new power plants to meet demand.                                                                                                                                                     
To scale access and cut emissions, we need........  both evolutionary and revolutionary innovations Evolutionary advancements offer improvements to existing osystems but are piecemeal rather than transformative. Vapor compression systems, which are used in 95% of global coling equipment, have been the backbone of cooling technology for close to a century. Vapor compression relies on expansion and compression of gaseous refrigerants to generate heating and cooling.  Incremental improvements in vapor compression systems include improved efficiencies, advancing low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, and improved compressor technology....read on           https://rmi.org/clean-energy-101-solid-state-cooling/   

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Over the past decade, embodied carbon emerged as a critical factor to consider in the planning and construction of buildings. Embodied carbon represents the millions of tons of Earth-warming carbon emissions released during the life cycle of building products. The World Green Building Council estimates embodied carbon alone accounts for 11 percent of global annual energy-related emissions. Given the scale of the sector’s climate impact, it is imperative that owners, designers, builders, manufacturers, and policymakers lead the market by prioritizing this issue. As our understanding of embodied carbon has steadily increased, so has the urgency of reducing all carbon emissions. Report | 2023 Driving Action on Embodied Carbon in Buildings.........
Download the report 
AND.....RMI and USGBC provide answers to current questions about embodied carbon and key actions to accelerate the decarbonization of building construction. RMI Tracy Huynh, Chris Magwood, Victor Olgyay, Laurie Kerr, Wes SullensRMI and USGBC provide answers to current questions about embodied carbon and key actions to accelerate the decarbonization of building construction. RMI Tracy Huynh, Chris Magwood, Victor Olgyay, Laurie Kerr, Wes SullensBuilding decarbonization requires collective industry action: forerunners are already demonstrating what is possible, but we need more leaders to push the boundaries to scale up swift and deep decarbonization. The industry is poised to make this leap, and there are substantial emissions reductions available today that are well within reach. Tools and guidance are widely available, low-hanging fruit have been identified, and new policies are creating greater market certainty. It is time for everyone to get on board to reduce embodied carbon. This report shows you how to get started........
The Business Case for Reducing Embodied Carbon: 9 Investments Commercial Real Estate Developers Can Make Today RMI July 25, 2024 By Aurimas Bukauskas,  Anish Tilak Key Takeaways Integrative design, efficient use of materials and space, prioritization of retrofits, and circular construction paired with climate-aligned procurement, reporting, and marketing can reduce embodied carbon while creating business value. Some embodied carbon reduction measures cut development costs. Other measures can provide developers with a competitive advantage in the emerging low-embodied carbon construction sector. Embodied carbon actions are most valuable when combined, rather than deployed individually. Late adoption of low-embodied carbon construction practices could strand assets. Introduction Zero embodied carbon construction: a technology transition with a climate deadline Embodied carbon, the climate pollution associated with material production and construction activities, is responsible for an estimated 11% of global emissions. Embodied carbon can make up 50% of the life-cycle emissions of a building. This proportion will increase as building operations become more energy efficient and electricity grids switch to clean energy sources. Like the energy transition generally, achieving zero-embodied carbon construction is a technology transition with a climate deadline. This industry transformation must be achieved by 2050 to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and secure a livable future for all. Like any corporate real estate sustainability initiative, tackling embodied carbon poses its own set of hurdles. However, research shows that overcoming these hurdles is not only achievable, but also holds potential economic, competitive, and environmental advantages for developers, asset managers, and other market actors. Multiple pathways to zero emissions have been established. For example, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has developed climate-aligned paths to net-zero embodied carbon construction by 2050. The US Federal Buy Clean Initiative has also called for zero-embodied carbon construction by mid-century. This investment guide provides further guidance on strategies, business opportunities, and key actions to track and reduce embodied carbon. 
 
Embodied carbon is a transition risk; Developers face increasing pressure from investors, tenants, and regulators to disclose Scope 3 emissions. Embodied carbon makes up a substantial part of commercial real estate developers’ Scope 3 emissions, which in turn comprise as much as 90% of developers’ Scope 1–3 emissions. Investors’ capital allocation decisions, tenant leasing preferences, and government regulations increasingly penalize high embodied carbon construction practices. Reducing embodied carbon can increase access to investment dollars, attract tenants, and future-proof business practices against government regulation. Below we explain how investing in embodied carbon reduction can reduce the cost of capital, attract tenants, and future-proof business practices against future regulations.
 
Embodied carbon as a business opportunity: nine investments developers can make today Embodied carbon, sometimes referred to as “capital carbon,” is often correlated with capital costs. Reducing embodied carbon can cut development costs. Strategic action on embodied carbon can also help developers position themselves for competitive advantage as the global real estate sector’s transition to low-embodied carbon practices advances. This guide outlines nine strategies for developers to reduce embodied carbon while creating business value. These measures can increase developers’ portfolio profitability per unit of embodied carbon. Combining measures can reduce embodied carbon and increase profitability more effectively than deploying them individually. Many of the actions presented also drive virtuous cycles which accelerate the commercial real estate sector’s transition to low-embodied carbon materials and practices. The recommended strategies are organized into two broad categories: building strategies, which are deployed at the asset level, and corporate strategies, which can inform portfolio-wide initiatives....read on                 https://rmi.org/the-business-case-for-reducing-embodied-carbon-9-investments-commercial-real-estate-developers-can-make-today/

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A winding brick path doubles as a temporary watercourse during heavy rainfall at this urban park in Copenhagen's South Harbour, which has been designed by Danish landscape architect Schønherr. Called Karens Minde Axis, the park was commissioned by the municipality and utility cmpany HOFOR to combine protection against cloudburst – flashes of heavy rain that often lead to flooding – with new natural spaces for the community. Dezeen  |  Schønherr worked closely with nearby residents to ensure that existing features of the space, such a playground, dog walking park and numerous mature trees, remained intact while the park was adapted. "The project, which constitutes a yellow brick riverbed path, a watercourse, and an urban space, is designed with the philosophy of adding and subtracting as little as possible," said the studio. "The ambition was to channel cloudburst water through the city in a sensible way, and as the project is located in a valuable cultural environment in Copenhagen, it builds on what is already there to create something new that does not feel alien to the area," it added. Stretching 600 metres between two terraced residential streets, the park is organised around an area of circular wooden decking at its centre, which along with a nearby pavilion serves as a space for informal gatherings. The winding brick pathway cuts lengthwise across the site through the centre of this circle, combining more organic, flowing surfaces with areas of stepped seating.

During heavy rainfall, this sunken path is designed to handle 15,000 cubic metres of rainwater, channeling it through a purifying "trickle meadow" into a newly established rainwater basin.When acting as a river, the park's central channel is still able to be traversed via small bridges. "Besides serving as a new and green urban space, Karens Minde Axis is also used for the transport, storage, and purification of rainwater," said the studio. "The technical water management not only contributes to functionality but also serves as an aesthetic element, literally unifying an area that was previously divided.",,,,,read on

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/02/18/schonherr-karens-minde-axis-copenhagen/#:~:text=A%20winding%20brick%20path%20doubles,by%20Danish%20landscape%20architect%20Sch%C3%B8nherr.2-16-2025 

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 Urban infrastructure in a changing climate: adapting to the challenges of the 21st Century  UNDRR- Prevention Web Shankar GhoshAnamika BaruaArup Kumar Sarma 19 April 2023  Climate change is a global challenge rapidly becoming a defining issue of our time. While taking immediate steps to reduce emissions can help limit global warming to 1.5°C, the consequences of this warming are still unavoidable, and will include increased frequency and intensity of extreme events, significantly impacting physical, social, and economic systems (IPCC, SR1.5, 2018).

The impacts of climate change, particularly in South Asia, are examined in several IPCC reports, including the sixth Assessment Report (IPCC, AR6, 2022) and the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (IPCC, SR1.5, 2018). Extreme weather events like floods, cyclones, and droughts are increasing in South Asia, causing damage to infrastructure and property leading to economic losses. In urban areas, the impacts of floods can be particularly severe due to the concentration of infrastructure and population. Urban floods are a growing concern in South Asia, with increasing urbanization and climate change making cities more vulnerable to flooding. According to a report by the World Bank, the economic cost of floods in South Asia is estimated to be $7.2 billion annually, with urban floods accounting for a significant portion of this cost.  While cities are centers of innovation and economic activity, they also face significant social, economic, and environmental challenges that necessitate efficient infrastructure development and urban planning. The effects of climate change on urban infrastructure further complicates the Sustainable Development Goals of reducing poverty and achieving other interconnected goals.

To address this issue, it is important to invest in resilient infrastructure that can withstand and adapt to flood events. Climate-resilient infrastructure refers to physical infrastructure that is designed, constructed, and maintained to withstand the impacts of climate change while either remaining in operation or quickly returning to operation after an event. Investing in resilient infrastructure can help to reduce the economic losses caused by urban floods and ensure that communities are better prepared to withstand future flood events. It can also help to promote sustainable development by reducing the long-term costs of repairing and rebuilding infrastructure damaged by floods.

There are three aspects to climate-resilient infrastructure. First, the infrastructure itself is resilient – ensuring that it can endure extreme climatic or climate-induced events. Secondly, the infrastructure ensures climate justice – to ensure that steps taken to build resilience do not lead to shifting the risk onto vulnerable populations. At the urban catchment scale, the drainage system may be designed to be resilient. However, it may happen that flood water diverted towards a waterbody can significantly affect its water quality and hydrology, jeopardizing the livelihood of those who depend on the waterbody’s ecosystem services. Finally, the infrastructure incorporates a sustainable development lens – to ensure risk is not shifted to future generations. In the urban water management system, one may go for building massive structures like, for example, the Tokyo underground reservoir for rainwater storage. But since it is built out of concrete, huge quantities of greenhouse gases were emitted to build it, to some extent defeating the main objective of mitigating climate change. As an alternative, Blue-Green infrastructure and urban landscape design that keeps in mind the hydrology of the catchment can go a long way not just in minimizing the runoff but also in acting as a sink for greenhouse gases, improving the urban climate and the quality of life of the urban population. There are several challenges to developing climate-resilient infrastructure in South Asia, including limited resources and capacity, lack of coordination among stakeholders, and limited access to climate data and information. To address these challenges, it is important to generate knowledge and build capacity among stakeholders, including policymakers, engineers, and communities, to design and implement climate-resilient infrastructure projects. Investing in research and development in climate-resilient infrastructure can also help to identify best practices and innovative solutions that can be scaled up and replicated in other contexts....... and a lot more    https://www.preventionweb.net/news/urban-infrastructure-changing-climate-adapting-challenges-21st-century

IN CANADA WHAT NOT TO DO - 'Slap in the face': B.C. communities frustrated with new federal disaster funding. A new financing program will help protect communities from future floods and wildfires, but it won't help municipalities still vulnerable from the last strike. Tri-City-News  Stefan Labbé 14 Feb 2925 A new federal program designed to finance reconstruction after disaster will now offer money to individuals and municipalities looking to protect — or even buy out entirely — properties before wildfire or floods strike.   For individuals, that could mean getting money for new siding to protect a home from wildfire, or changes to a house’s foundations to fortify it against flooding.   For municipalities, it might mean money to build up dikes or buy out at-risk homes from their owners.  But the measures don’t kick in until this spring, and some British Columbians still coping with fallout from disaster years later say they have been left behind.   Since it was created in 1970, the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program has sent $8.5 billion to provinces to help residents rebuild from 283 disasters.  A third of that money has been paid out over the past 15 years, and about a quarter went to B.C. — a province increasingly facing outsized risk from wildfire and floods.   By 2030, the construction of new homes in high-risk areas across Canada is expected to leave B.C. with up to 95 per cent of the country’s climbing wildfire bill and half of its spiking flood costs, according to a recent report from the Canadian Climate Institute. In the worst-case scenario, that could leave the province with another $2.2 billion in damages a year, the report found.  

In Merritt, the Coldwater River swelled, bursting the city’s dikes and swamping 640 houses in an emergency that forced the evacuation of all 7,000 residents.  In the years since, Merritt has struggled to fund the reconstruction of its flood defences. Protecting the city from future floods requires raising the dikes beyond their previous height. But those improvements aren’t covered under the old disaster assistance program, and the new “build back better” funding only applies to events that occur after the program launches on April 1.   Sean Strang, the city’s director of recovery and mitigation, said the municipality has spent significant time and money advising on the program’s creation, only to learn later that the 2021 flood damage in Merritt, Princeton and Abbotsford would not be covered. 

Cities left behind.....By June 2024, Merritt, Abbotsford and Princeton still had not received funds needed to rebuild flood protections.That month, mayors from the three communities held a joint press conference where they slammed the federal government for failing to explain why they had been denied funding from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. As Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz said at the time, the cities were “ghosted.”  “They did not return any calls. They did not return any emails. They returned nothing,” he said. Tom Davidson remembers when the dikes that were supposed to protect Princeton failed. Waters from the Tulameen and Similkameen rivers rushed down half the streets in town, swallowing up his truck.  “We took seven feet of water in the street in front of our house,” said the local museum operator. A B.C. Ombudsman investigation looking into that year’s floods and wildfires later found government responses were “outdated” and “unfair.”  Among its many findings, the 2023 report found application delays for disaster financial assistance were “unreasonable,” with the appeals process not open to applicants until almost a year after the disaster.  

Merritt's plan to protect the city could offer a model for B.C. Merritt’s $150-million plan to protect the city hinges on 30 properties that stand in the way of a new dike. Without that wall, more than 1,274 homes will continue to sit in an unprotected flood zone, said Strang.......read on     https://www.tricitynews.com/economy-law-politics/slap-in-the-face-bc-communities-frustrated-with-new-federal-disaster-funding-10217454?utm_source=Tri-City+News&utm_campaign=edecb1841a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6c7bdf0084-c0edaa7121-605034597&mc_cid=edecb1841a&mc_eid=02f1af278b     And elsewhere.......

  Heavy rain pummels slide-prone Southern California as crashes close roads in the Northwest

 Winter storm wreaks havoc on commute, closes schools across Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic

• How to disaster-proof your home and lower your insurance rate

 

• California's burn scars brace for flooding as freezing rain and snow head for Oregon

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Soleos Energy.......7 Key Benefits of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) in Modern Architecture. The integration of solar energy into architectural design has paved the way for innovative solutions like Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). This technology not only harnesses renewable energy but also enhances the aesthetics of modern buildings. In this detailed blog, we will explore the concept of BIPV, its benefits, applications, and the future of sustainable building design.

Table of Contents........What is Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)?    How BIPV Works: A Technological Overview      Benefits of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic......Energy Efficiency.....Aesthetic Integration......Cost-Effectiveness........Environmental Impact.......Space Efficiency..........Durability and Functionality.......Energy IndependenceTypes of BIPV Systems..... BIPV Facades......BIPV Roofing Systems.......BIPV Skylights.....BIPV AwningsApplications of BIPV in Modern Architecture...Residential Buildings..Commercial Buildings.....Public Infrastructurelanning and Development.....Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi......Suzlon One Earth, Pune.....Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad....CeNSE Building, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore......Kolkata International Airport, Kolkata.......U-Solar CtrlS Data Center in MumbaiSahibabad Railway Station Challenges in BIPV Adoption         Government Policies and Incentives  FutureProspects of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics     

 Conclusion- What is Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)?   Building-integrated photovoltaics are solar components that not only produce electricity but also provide traditional purposes including thermal insulation, weatherproofing, and arhitectural purposes. Throughout their existence, these multifunctional active building components can achieve a better ecological and economic balance than traditional construction parts. They also give building owners the chance to adhere to ever stricter energy-related regulations. Visually pleasing power systems can be integrated into both urban and rural landscapes and significantly contribute to the energy transition when they have PV modules integrated into their roofs and façades through architectural integration. For bespoke BIPV components, it is advantageous to utilize a local manufacturer close to the end user.How BIPV Works: A Technological Overview A PV module serves as the fundamental building block of BIPV technology. A module is made up of constructed solar cells, and an array tailored to a particular site is created by wiring modules together. Solar energy is captured by BIPV systems and transformed into heat and electricity. Direct current (DC) appliances can be powered by the electricity produced by BIPV, or it can be stored in batteries. The output of PV systems is either connected to inverters or transformed into alternating current (AC) electricity for use in other applications or a connection to the utility grid.

A balance-of-system (BOS) is a term used to describe the additional parts of the BIPV system, which include the inverter, switches, controls, meters, power conditioning equipment, wiring, supporting structure, and storage components.Benefits of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics- Energy Efficiency. One of the most significant benefits of BIPV systems is their ability to generate clean, renewable energy directly from the building’s structure. By integrating photovoltaic cells into roofs, facades, windows, and other elements, buildings can produce electricity to power their operations, reducing the need for external energy sources and lowering overall energy consumption.The PV panels used should have high energy conversion efficiency to optimize the energy output with limited area. The panels should be oriented and titled in a way to ensure maximum exposure to solar radiation. Effective thermal management is necessary to dissipate the heat generated by the panels for the longevity and comfort of the building occupants.   https://www.soleosenergy.com/7-key-benefits-of-bipv-in-modern-architecture/#commercial-buildings

More Articles …

  1. Maximizing the Value of the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program for Utility Customers- Capital Recycling”
  2. Creating Healthier Buildings......The U.S. Building Stock is Aging and Needs to Introduce Many Green Upgrades
  3. From Sichuan to California, Extreme Heat Is Pushing the Grid to Its Limit.
  4. How to Climate Change Retrofit Existing Tall Buildings

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