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DOE: Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

William Attardi on June 27, 2025

LED technology enables dynamic lighting solutions that can adapt to the occupants, tasks, and daylight in a space. Tunable lighting systems can alter the intensity and/or spectral characteristics (color) of the source. As more schools across the U.S. transition from fluorescent to LED technology, many are likely to consider tunable lighting. This case study aims to help decision-makers by looking at past and current tunable lighting projects.

    • Why did schools choose tunable lighting?
    • What features were selected?
    • How was tunable lighting implemented?
    • What was the teacher feedback?

This case study examines tunable lighting installations at eight school districts across the United States. Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

 

DOE Announces New Pathway to Test Advanced Reactors

William Attardi on June 26, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the start of a new pilot program to expedite the testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs under DOE authority outside of the national laboratories.  In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy. This action represents an important step toward streamlining nuclear reactor testing and ensuring at least three reactors achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. DOE Announces New Pathway to Test Advanced Reactors – electrifiED

DOE Terminates 24 Clean Energy Projects

William Attardi on June 2, 2025

U. S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced the termination of 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) totaling over $3.7 billion in taxpayer-funded financial assistance. After a thorough and individualized financial review of each award, DOE found that these projects failed to advance the energy needs of the American people, were not economically viable, and would not generate a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars. Of the 24 awards cancelled, nearly 70% (16 of the 24 projects) were signed between Election Day and January 20th.  DOE Terminates 24 Clean Energy Projects – electrifiED

DOE Announces Accelerated Siting of Data Centers

William Attardi on May 29, 2025

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Elementl Power have teamed up to advance a data-driven siting approach for advanced nuclear projects. The work started through a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) GAIN voucher and contributed to Elementl’s recent agreement with Google to prepare three U.S. sites for advanced nuclear deployment. Each site would have at least 600 megawatts of capacity and would likely be used to power large-scale data centers. Nuclear energy can provide around-the-clock abundant and reliable electricity, making it an attractive solution to meet rising energy demand from AI and data centers. Google will provide early-stage capital to develop three sites for advanced reactor projects with final technology selection and site confirmation pending further development milestones. DOE Announces Accelerated Siting of Data Centers – electrifiED

Energy Department Proposes to Cut 47 Rules in ‘Largest Deregulatory Effort in History’ by Rachel Frazin

William Attardi on May 13, 2025

 The Energy Department plans to ax a long list of efficiency regulations, including those pertaining to stoves, ovens, showerheads, clothes washers, dishwashers and microwaves. The rules also apply to a smattering of other policies ranging for guidelines under which the department buys oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to nondiscrimination requirements for grant recipients. Energy Department proposes to cut 47 rules in ‘largest deregulatory effort in history’

Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand? by Greg Zimmerman

William Attardi on April 30, 2025

Demand from data centers is expected to more than triple by 2028, according to the Department of Energy. This is largely due to the explosion of Artificial Intelligence, and its intense demand for electricity.  Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are just a few of the big tech companies investing billions in solar technology. Two of the main reasons for the investment in solar is that the solar development timeline is much shorter than for other sources electricity. At 1.4 years, solar is the shortest timeline to develop an 800-megawatt solar plant. That’s compared to 15 years for a nuclear power and 6.7 years for a coal-fired power plant.  Also, solar is much less expensive, is easily scalable, and pays back much quicker than other sources of electricity.   Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand?  – Facility Management Green Quick Read

DOE Green-Lights $57M Loan to Restart Michigan Nuclear Plant by Francisco “A.J.” Camacho

William Attardi on March 18, 2025

The Department of Energy has approved a $57 million loan disbursement to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, marking the first financial commitment from the Trump administration for nuclear revival. DOE’s disbursement is part of an existing $1.52 billion loan guarantee aimed at restoring the 800-megawatt facility, which, if successfully restarted, would be the first U.S. commercial nuclear reactor to resume operations after being shut down. DOE green-lights $57M loan to restart Michigan nuclear plant – E&E News by POLITICO

Energy Department Acts to Lower Prices and Increase Consumer Choice with Household Appliances

William Attardi on March 8, 2025

Led by President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced the Department of Energy will postpone the implementation of seven of the Biden administration’s restrictive mandates on home appliances. The Feb. 14 actions are a key step in undoing the previous administration’s burdensome policies that have driven up costs, reduced choice and diminished the quality of Americans’ home appliances. Perma | Energy Today’s actions postpone the efficiency standards for the following home appliance rules:

Perma | Energy Department Acts to Lower Prices and Increase Consumer Choice with Household Appliances | Department of Energy

The Role of Energy Audits in Enhancing Facility Performance by Ellie Gabel

William Attardi on March 4, 2025

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), approximately 30% of the money used to power buildings — around $400 billion annually — is wasted yearly. A professional-grade energy audit can help facility managers reduce electricity expenses without compromising comfort or safety. During a commercial energy audit, an auditor assesses how, where and why a facility consumes power. They aim to address inefficiencies and identify areas of opportunity, enabling a substantial energy consumption reduction. Whatever the audit’s results, management will receive a baseline on the property’s energy consumption, waste and reuse effectiveness rating. They can use this data to identify pain points, explore areas of opportunity, or prioritize equipment upgrades. Nearly 40% of a building’s energy usage can be attributed to lighting. Replacing outdated lighting fixtures with more energy efficient options can drastically reduce those costs. The Role Of Energy Audits In Enhancing Facility Performance

Lighting Revolution in Two Graphs: LED Distribution In Residential And Commercial Applications by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on January 15, 2025

As the LED revolution achieves increasing adoption, a recent report by the Department of Energy illuminates the growth. Published in April 2024, the “2020 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization” https://tinyurl.com/3fczwe9s estimates technology distribution among the U.S. installed base of units (lamps/luminaires), along with energy consumption. Residential sector: Let’s start with the residential lighting sector, where an estimated 6.5 billion units are installed, accounting for 80% of lighting installations. LED was the most popular light source in 2020 with 3.1 billion units installed or 48% of the total, nearly 50% less energy than in 2015.  Commercial buildings: In the commercial building sector, with its estimated 1.6 billion installed units, we see a similarly striking snapshot of LED earning virtual parity with other light sources. In 2020, LED reached an overall share of 48% of the installed base and a rough parity with fluorescent, nearly 30% less energy than 2015 and 57% less than 2001. Again, LED adoption is today the majority light source in commercial buildings.  Lighting Revolution in Two Graphs: LED distribution in residential and commercial applications – Electrical Contractor Magazine

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – The last time human beings headed moonward was on the Apollo 17 flight that launched Dec. 7, 1972—before any of the Artemis II crew members were born. Today’s crew will not land on the moon—they won’t even orbit the moon. But they will whip around the lunar far side, on a shakedown mission test-flying the Orion spacecraft. This is essential preparatory work for achieving NASA’s bigger lunar goals. Next year there will be another test flight in low Earth orbit during the flight of Artemis III, followed by up to two moon landings by Artemis IV and V in 2028, and annual landings thereafter. Unlike the Apollo program, Artemis aims not just for the so-called flags-and-footprints model of short, one- to three-day stays on the moon, but for a long-term presence at a long-term moon base in the south lunar pole, where deposits of ice can provide drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and oxygen-hydrogen rocket fuel. Very much like the Apollo program, Artemis finds itself in a closely watched moon race, not with the old Soviet Union this time, but with China, which has announced its intention to have astronauts on the moon by 2030. The U.S. is not going it alone this time, however. While Apollo was an entirely American enterprise, Artemis flies under the flag of 60 countries, signatories to the Artemis Accords, an international pact whose members vow to support the peaceful exploration of space and contribute money, modules, and astronauts to the Artemis cause. Artemis II Has Launched. Here’s Everything You Need to Know