RMI Outlet

Plug Into New Ideas

Learning From Japan’s Nuclear Disaster

As heroic workers and soldiers strive to save stricken Japan from a new horror—radioactive fallout—some truths known for 40 years bear repeating. An earthquake-and-tsunami zone crowded with 127 million people is an unwise place for 54 reactors. The 1960s design of five Fukushima-I reactors has the smallest safety margin and probably can't contain 90 percent of meltdowns. The U.S. has six identical and 17 very similar plants.

New Tool Helps Portfolio Owners Prospect for Profitable Retrofits

An exciting tool is now available for those prospecting for profitable building retrofits. Analogous to giving a miner a GPS and the coordinates of a gold vein, the new Retroficiency software tool tells building owners, managers and service providers which building to target for retrofit.

A Universe of (Good) Data At Your Fingertips

Building energy modelers want, and need a universe of useful data. Observing the BEM Summits “Support and Resources” breakout group (which focused on the question, “what tools does an energy modeler need when they sit down to model?”), this point was abundantly clear.

Building a Future Vision Starts with Common Language

What’s the difference between a building energy modeler and a building energy analyst? This may just sound like semantics, but according to participants at RMI’s BEM Innovation Summit, the devil’s in the details. Building a common language for energy modeling services is essential for defining and growing the market.