My name is Jay Stein and I write about the technologies we use to turn energy into the amenities we want, like comfortable buildings, fresh food, and information services. I’m mainly interested in the overlap between these technologies, public policy, investment opportunities, and climate change. I was affiliated with E Source for 27 years and during that time I participated in a management buyout of the company. Currently, I’m an independent consultant living in Boulder, Colorado.
The More Heat Pumps the Merrier
Concerns about climate-warming refrigerants leaking from heat pumps are valid. Even so, the benefits of installing heat pumps instead of natural gas furnaces far outweigh the drawbacks.
Orange is the New Green, for Greenhouses
Greenhouse agriculture is far more water efficient than open field, at the expense of greater energy consumption. New technology is enabling drought-stricken growers to move more crops into greenhouses with a smaller energy penalty. As climate change dries out the…
New Water Treatment Technology Helps Alleviate Climate-Change Driven Drought
Climate change is contributing to drought conditions worldwide. An innovative water treatment technology may enable stressed public water supplies to access new resources. With climate change contributing to drought conditions all over the world, public water supply…
Returning Workers Demanding Safe Indoor Air Are Driving a Revolution in Air Conditioning Systems
Building air conditioning systems aren’t protecting the air we breathe and workers returning to buildings are demanding change. Upgrading those systems without contributing to climate change will take innovative public policies and technologies. During the fall of…